Chemists have outperformed nature by mimicking biological systems that speed up chemical reactions. These artificial biocatalysts work better than their natural counterparts – i.e. more cheaply and under milder conditions.
Many chemical and pharmaceutical products are made using expensive and environmentally damaging precious metal catalysts that initiate and speed up chemical reactions. As greener alternatives, chemists are looking to the chemistry of living things for biological catalyst systems. These biocatalysts typically consist of an enzyme coupled with helper molecules called cofactors that help enzymes to do their job.
Further information: Artificial helper molecules for chemical reactions