Phys.org April 11, 2022
Microorganisms that produce useful substances are usually developed by modifying metabolism to convert energy that would normally be used for growth into a resource for synthesizing these target substances. Researchers in Japan used light, an external energy source, to improve production of useful substances without disrupting the microorganisms’ natural metabolism. As a test they introduced a heterologous membrane protein called rhodopsin into Escherichia coli. Rhodopsin is a pump that is activated by light, and the action of the pump leads to the generation of ATP without using the cell’s natural machinery to produce it. This approach has the added benefit of reducing the emission of carbon dioxide. According to the researchers their approach is expected to increase the efficiency of producing useful materials through fermentation and other bioprocesses while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Light-powering acceleration of ATP-driven production of useful chemical in E. coli expressing rhodopsin…Credit: Kiyotaka Y. Hara