The bioreduction of α, α-difluorinated ketones, ethyl 2, 2-difluoro-3-oxobutanoate (2a) and 2, 2-difluoro-1-phenyl-1, 3-butanedione (2b), with cells of recombinant Escherichia coli overproducing SCR (Saccharomyces cerevisiae carbonyl reductase from bakers' yeast) and GDH (glucose dehydrogenase from Bacillus megaterium) gave enantiomerically pure alcohols, ethyl (S)-2, 2-difluoro-3-hydroxybutanoate ((S)-1a) and (S)-2, 2-difluoro-3- ...