c alkanes;

c cytochromes;

c directed evolution;

c enzyme catalysis;

c hydroxylation

Picking on someone smaller6 Cytochromes P450 catalyze the hydroxylation of thousands of substrates, including alkanes 6 No naturally

occurring P450, however, is known to oxidize the smallest alkanes, ethane and methane6 Here we report the direct and selectiv e oxidation of

ethane to ethanol using dioxygen, catalyzed by a cytochrome P450 BM -3 variant engineered for high act ivity towards small alkanes (see

scheme)6 Achieving P450-catalyzed oxidation of ethane is a key step in the pathway to P450 -catalyzed methane oxidation and opens new

opportunities for the bioconversion of natural gas to fuels and chemicals6




the partial oxidation of methane and ethane by nitrous oxide over iron phosphate catalysts has been studied at 573 ±723 K6 Methanol and ethanol
were obtained as the primary products from methane and ethane, respectively6 Further oxidation of methanol leads to the for mation of
formaldehyde, CO and CO 2 as the consecutive oxidation products6 In the case of ethane oxidation, the primary product, ethanol, undergoes
dehydration and oxidation to ethene and acetaldehyde, respectively6