Formic Acid: The Key to Transforming CO2 into Valuable Biochemicals

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute have developed a synthetic metabolic pathway that converts carbon dioxide into formaldehyde via formic acid, offering a carbon-neutral method for producing valuable materials. The researchers optimized enzymes using high-throughput methods to achieve a fourfold improvement in production. The long-term goal is an "all-in-one platform" from carbon dioxide via an electrobiochemical process to products like insulin or biodiesel.