Engineering Escherichia coli for production of value-added chemicals solely using CO2 and formic acid

Abstract

Increased concerns for the environmental problem related with greenhouse gases have forced bioconversion of one-carbon gases to value-added chemicals as one of the desirable solutions. In our previous study, engineered Escherichia coli being able to grow solely on CO$_2$ and formic acid was developed. However, low cell concentration and inefficient assimilation of one-carbon compounds were challenges for chemicals production until now. Here in this study, we achieved relatively higher cell concentration and cell growth rate through biological process engineering and metabolic engineering strategies. Furthermore, poly-3-hydroxybutyrates were produced solely using CO$_2$ and formic acid, and finally production of L-lactate which can be easy to be degraded was verified. This is first case which produce value-added chemicals from synthetic formatotrophs.