Biologists have created a synthetic system called ReForm, which works more efficiently than natural organisms and allows for the production of valuable raw materials from atmospheric waste. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering, writes UNN.
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Researchers from Northwestern and Stanford Universities have developed a biological mechanism that converts formate (a CO2 derivative) into acetyl-CoA – a basic building block for living cells. As proof of its effectiveness, the system has already been used to synthesize malate, which is the basis for cosmetics, food products, and bioplastics.
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The main feature of ReForm is that the system is completely synthetic and functions in a test tube, without the limitations of a living organism. This allowed scientists to use genetically engineered enzymes that do not exist in nature.
Although nature has developed several pathways for CO2 metabolism, it cannot keep up with the rapid increase in its amount in the atmosphere. Since there is no set of enzymes in nature capable of this, we decided to create one of them
To find the ideal components, scientists used a cell-free approach, which Michael Jewett of Stanford compares to "taking the hood off a car." This allowed testing over 3,000 enzyme variants per week, whereas traditional methods using live microbes would have taken months.
The new technology paves the way for carbon-negative production, where industrial emissions become a resource for creating fuel and materials.