uniquely on catalytic asymmetric reactions for the creation of the three stereogenic centers without using chiral building blocks. The key steps of this short route to sulfobacin A involve ruthenium-mediated asymmetric hydrogenation reactions of a β-keto ester and a racemic β-keto-α-amino ester hydrochloride to afford, respectively, the corresponding enantiomerically pure β-hydroxyester and the enantioenriched