The efficient and sustainable synthesis of high-energy carbonyl long-chain compounds using carbon dioxide is still a great challenge. Recently, Chinese scientists have successfully achieved the synthesis of glucose and fatty acids from carbon dioxide and water by combining electrocatalysis with biosynthesis. The research results were published as a cover article in the journal "Nature Catalysis" with the title: "Upcycling CO2 into energy-rich long-chain compounds via electrochemical and metabolic engineering".

The researchers designed a spatially coupled electrobiological system that includes carbon dioxide electrolysis and yeast fermentation. In carbon dioxide electrolysis, researchers combined a nanostructured copper catalyst with a solid-state electrolyte reactor to convert carbon dioxide into a carbon monoxide intermediate, which was then further synthesized into high-purity acetic acid. In the subsequent microbial fermentation, the researchers genetically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae to knock out the hexokinase gene and overexpress the heterologous glucose-1-phosphatase gene, allowing Saccharomyces cerevisiae to synthesize glucose using acetic acid produced by the electrolysis of carbon dioxide. . In addition, the researchers also used electrocatalytic synthesis of acetic acid as a substrate to synthesize fatty acids in the constructed fatty acid-producing strains.

This research provides a new method for the use of carbon dioxide to synthesize high-value long-chain fatty acids, making it possible to artificially and controllably synthesize "food".