An innovative combination strategy that uses pure enzymes and whole microbial cells in the same process was used to prepare enantiomerically pure 3-carboxyalkyl-γ-butyrolactones and several alkyl esters of 2-hydroxyglutarates from 2-oxoglutaric acid. The method involves two consecutive biocatalytic steps. The first step, which converts the 2-oxoglutaric acid into the corresponding dialkyl esters, was catalyzed by a lipase. Then in the second step, by ...