Squalene hopene cyclase (SHC) variants

A process for preparing (−)-Ambrox or a mixture comprising (−)-Ambrox, the process comprising enzymatically converting (3E,7E)-homofarnesol (EEH) or a mixture of isomers of homofarnesol comprising EEH to (−)-Ambrox or a mixture comprising (−)-Ambrox using a squalene hopene cyclase/homofarnesol Ambrox cyclase (SHC/HAC) enzyme variant,

• wherein the SHC/HAC enzyme variant has an amino acid sequence having at least 70.0% identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 1,
• wherein the SHC/HAC enzyme variant amino acid sequence has amino acid alterations relative to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 at positions corresponding to positions 132, 224 and 432 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 which are M132R, A224V and I432T respectively, and
• wherein the SHC/HAC enzyme variant amino acid sequence has amino acid alterations relative to SEQ ID NO:
• 1 at a position corresponding to position 557 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 and at least one position corresponding to position 81, 431 or 613 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1.