Sustainable ("green") chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. It is aimed at environmentally benign and highly productive processes by combining organic chemistry, organic synthesis, biocatalysis and reaction engineering in a multidisciplinary approach. The research carried out by the group of Biocatalysis, Bioorganic and Natural products Chemistry is thus at the edge of chemical and life sciences.

Nature represents also the source of valuable bioactive compounds, which are isolated from vegetable sources and whose structure is elucidated. Moreover, they can be chemically or enzymatically modified in the search of improved biological properties.

Current researches are aimed at combining organic synthesis and biocatalysis for the production of value-added compounds of pharmaceutical , food and cosmetic interest, starting from renewable raw materials or agricultural waste.

Organic synthesis and organic chemistry methods are applied also to the design and construction of chemical models for the study of new and relevant biology-related problems and to the study of the mechanism of action of enzymes.