Metal-promoted synthetic chemistry within living cells

The ability to perform 'new-to-nature' chemical reactions within living cells and organisms is transforming the way in which scientists interrogate and/or manip-ulate biological processes. In recent years, the toolbox of bioorthogonal and cell -compatible reactions has been enriched with the incorporation of transition metal-mediated processes. Whereas the efficiency of these reactions is still low, the breadth and generality of organometallic catalysis promises to signifi-cantly impact the field of bioorthogonal chemistry. Particularly attractive is the possibility of using organometallic catalysis for performing bond-forming, syn-thetically relevant reactions, as this could allow assembly of biorelevant prod-ucts at specific biological sites.