Converting heterotrophic Escherichia coli into synthetic C1-trophic modes

It is challenging to convert a heterotrophic microorganism that grows on multicarbon feedstocks (e.g., sugar) into a one-carbon (C1)-trophic mode that builds all biomass from C1 compounds. Recent studies show that Escherichia coli can be engineered to grow solely on CO₂ and formate, which will potentially enable diverse biotechnological applications in the future.