The Cover picture shows the biocatalytic transformation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which is an important bio-based platform chemical, to 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan. Such upgrading to high-value products is of currently of considerable interest but difficult to achieve. In this case, a new highly HMF-tolerant yeast strain—Meyerozyma guilliermondii SC1103 was isolated and used for the biocatalytic reduction of HMF using its resting cells over a wide pH range. Co-substrates exerted a significant effect on the catalytic activity and selectivity of microbial cells as well as their HMF-tolerant levels, whereas a nitrogen source and mineral salts had no such effects. More details can be found in the Full Paper by Li et al. on
page 372 in Issue 2, 2017 (DOI:
10.1002/cssc.201601426).