The goal of the Hoke S. Greene Laboratory of Catalysis is to enhance the understanding of the fundamentals of catalytic phenomena. The lab's historical emphasis begin with reactions involving catalysis by soluble transition metal carbonyls and their derivatives. Such catalysis is involved in the commercial synthesis of at least three commodity chemicals (acetic acid, vinyl acetate, and butyraldehyde) and is also of critical importance in the metalloenzyme chemistry of living organisms. More than 100 publications have resulted from the efforts of this laboratory since its inception in 1971. Nowadays, catalysis research focuses on enzymes, and the Greene Laboratory will soon be looking to find a new Director and Greene Chair holder.