Abstract: A method to make tertiary ?-hydroxy ?-amino acids. The method includes reacting a ketone substrate and a primary or secondary ?-hydroxy ?-amino acid with an L-threonine aldolase and/or an L-threonine transaldolase for a time, at a temperature, and at a pH wherein the reaction yields a tertiary ?-hydroxy ?-amino acid product.

Abstract: Unnatural, mutant tryptophan decarboxylase proteins and methods of using same. The mutants have an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO:1 and have substitutions at one or more of amino acid positions 98, 99, 120, 126, 339, 349, and 355 of SEQ ID NO:1. The mutants can have enhanced activity and/or substrate promiscuity and be used for synthesizing tryptamine analogs.

Abstract: A method for site-selective deuteration of amino acids using a protein system having an aminotransferase (e.g., DsaD) and/or a small partner protein (e.g., DsaE). A non-deuterated amino acid is contacted with deuterium and an aminotransferase or a combination of an aminotransferase and a partner protein, to yield a C?-deuterated or a C?- and C?-deuterated amino acid. C?-deuterated amino acids can be accessed by contacting a C?- and C?-deuterated amino acid with non-deuterium hydrogen and an aminotransferase to wash out the deuterium at the Ca carbon atom by the non-deuterium hydrogen.