The chiral intermediate (2R,3S)-(−)-N-benzoyl-3-phenyl isoserine ethyl ester , a potential taxol side-chain synthon, was prepared by microbial and enzymatic processes. Taxol is an anticancer compound recently approved by FDA for the treatment of ovarian cancer. The stereoselective reduction of racemic 2-keto-3-(N-benzoylamino)-3-phenylpropionic acid ethyl ester to the corresponding alcohol was carried out using microbial cultures. Among microorganisms evaluated, SC ...