New discoveries expand possibilities for carboxysome engineering

Carboxysomes are CO₂-fixing protein compartments present in all cyanobacteria and some proteobacteria. These structures are attractive candidates for carbon assimilation bioengineering because they concentrate carbon, allowing the fixation reaction to occur near its maximum rate, and because they self-assemble in diverse organisms with a set of standard biological parts. Recent discoveries have expanded our understanding of how the carboxysome assembles, distributes itself, and sustains its metabolism. These studies have already led to substantial advances in engineering the carboxysome and carbon concentrating mechanism into recombinant organisms, with an eye towards establishing the system in industrial microbes and plants. Future studies may also consider the potential of in vitro carboxysomes for both discovery and applied science.