Cheap, eco-friendly catalyst opens new possibilities for organic molecules built from pyruvate

Chemists have developed an organic catalyst that can drive reactions using pyruvate -- a key biomolecule in many metabolic pathways -- that are difficult and complicated to achieve using conventional industrial techniques. The research is an important step towards simplifying the production process and increasing the range of molecules that can be built from pyruvate, like amino acids or glycolic acids, which are used in drug discovery efforts and medications.