Methods of producing peptide beta-lactones and beta-hydroxy acids are disclosed that include contacting a beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid, an aryl carrier protein (ObiD), and ATP with a non-ribosomal protein synthetase. A continuous flow reactor is disclosed that includes an elongate conduit with at least one region that includes a first region with a non-ribosomal protein synthetase immobilized to a substrate. The non-ribosomal protein synthetase of the continuous flow reactor is configured to contact a flow of a reaction mixture that includes a beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid and an aryl carrier protein. The non-ribosomal protein synthetase is further configured to release a peptide beta-lactone into the flow of the reaction mixture.

The present invention provides engineered threonine aldolase and amino acid decarboxylase polypeptides useful for the production of the chiral tertiary amino alcohols, as well as polynucleotides, compositions, and methods utilizing these engineered polypeptides.

The present invention relates to a cell for producing acyl glycinates wherein the cell is genetically modified to comprise at least a first genetic mutation that increases the expression relative to the wild type cell of an amino acid-N-acyl-transferase, at least a second genetic mutation that increases the expression relative to the wild type cell of an acyl-CoA synthetase, and at least a third genetic mutation that decreases the expression relative to the wild type cell of at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of an enzyme of the glycine cleavage system, glycine hydroxymethyltransferase (GlyA) and threonine aldolase (LtaE).