Reprogramming energy system for growth and bioproduction from CO₂ and methanol in Escherichia coli.

Engineered Escherichia coli with an orthogonal energy system enables growth and chemical production from CO₂ and methanol, doubling growth rate and high biomass yield.

• Why it matters: Efficient microbial CO₂ assimilation is vital for sustainable biomanufacturing, but native energy systems limit conversion efficiency due to tight regulation and high energy demands.
• What they did: Researchers designed and integrated an orthogonal energy system, achieving high NUDH levels, and reprogrammed key enzymes to support a CO₂-formate-acetyl-CoA pathway, enabling growth on CO₂ and methanol.
• The result: This platform allows biosynthesis of multiple chemicals from CO₂, demonstrating a new framework for reprogramming microbial energy metabolism and expanding one-carbon biotransformation capabilities.