Whole‐cell catalysis of N‐ acetylglucosamine into N‐ acetylneuraminic acid using a dual‐pathway conversion in engineered Escherichia coli Nissle 1917

The implementation of a dual pathway improved Neu5Ac production substantially. The inherent cofactor-recycling capability of the selected chassis strain, EcN, adequately supported the biosynthetic demands of Neu5Ac. These results demonstrate that EcN is a promising engineered platform for efficient Neu5Ac biosynthesis, and the approach developed here provides a cost-effective strategy by minimizing cofactor-related expenses. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.