This clever cycle, built on two ultra-fast CO2-fixing enzymes, converts atmospheric air into acetyl-CoA, an important building block for biofuels, materials and pharmaceuticals. THETA is not only faster than natural photosynthesis, but also increases its productivity by 100 times thanks to intelligent optimization.
But don’t expect these tiny “CO2 sinks” to magically appear overnight. The entire 17-step THETA cycle is too complex for single-celled bacteria. So far, the team has broken the process into three manageable modules, successfully integrated them into E. coli, and proven that each one works. The next task is to combine all 17 stages into a small “factory” and synchronize them with the natural metabolism of the bacterium.
“This cycle could provide a versatile platform to obtain valuable compounds directly from CO2,” said Shanshan Luo, lead author of the study.
Source: Ferra
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