Artificial metabolism converts CO2 into useful industrial chemicals

Researchers from Northwestern and Stanford Universities have developed a fully artificial, cell-free metabolic system called the Reductive Formate Pathway (ReForm) that converts formate—derived from captured CO₂—into acetyl-CoA, a key metabolite used by all living cells. This synthetic pathway does not exist in nature and operates outside living organisms, enabling precise control over enzyme concentrations and reaction conditions. As a proof of concept, the team further converted acetyl-CoA into malate, a commercially valuable compound used in food, cosmetics, and biodegradable plastics. The system also accepts other one-carbon inputs like formaldehyde and methanol, demonstrating versatility in carbon source utilization. The innovation lies in engineering enzymes capable of catalyzing reactions not previously observed in biology. Using cell-free synthetic biology, the researchers rapidly screened over 3,000 enzyme variants to identify optimal performers, allowing them to design a pathway with five engineered enzymes performing six reaction steps. This approach bypasses biological limitations that have hindered efficient