Reductase (CmCR) from Candida magnoliae was discovered by genome mining.
Recombinant E. coli CCZU-K14 was employed for efficiently reducing COBE.
COBE at 3 M was reduced to (S)-CHBE (>99.9% ee; yield > 99%) after 14 h.
E. coli CCZU-K14 could synthesize (S)-CHBE and its derivatives (>99.9% ee).