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Researchers from the USA have developed a fully artificial metabolism called ReForm that operates without living cells, converting CO₂-based molecules such as formate into acetyl-CoA and other usable chemicals. The system employs newly developed enzymes and cell-free synthetic biology, bypassing the slow and sensitive natural metabolic pathways found in plants and bacteria.

ReForm utilizes a synthetic pathway to convert formate, easily produced from CO₂ using electrochemical processes, into acetyl-CoA, a key chemical building block. The system was created through extensive screening of 66 enzymes and over 3,000 variants, resulting in five newly developed enzymes forming a six-step reaction pathway.

The researchers also demonstrated that acetyl-CoA can be further converted into malate, with the potential to utilize other CO₂-based substrates like formaldehyde and methanol. While still in the laboratory phase, the team aims to optimize ReForm for higher yields and explore new enzyme designs.