Enzymatic Conversion of CO₂: From Natural to Artificial Utilization

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Enzymatic carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation is crucial for converting atmospheric inorganic carbon into organic biomass.
• Direct CO2 utilization in biotechnology faces challenges due to unfavorable thermodynamics and low substrate concentrations.
• Nature employs specialized carboxylating enzymes and metabolic pathways to overcome these hurdles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review natural CO2-fixing enzymes and their mechanisms.
• To discuss biocatalytic applications of carboxylases and decarboxylases for valuable product synthesis.
• To explore strategies for enhancing enzymatic CO2 fixation efficiency and techno-economic feasibility.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on natural CO2 fixation pathways and enzymes.
• Analysis of biocatalytic applications and reaction engineering strategies.
• Discussion of alternative biochemical utilization of reduced CO2 derivatives (e.g., formate, methanol).

Main Results:

• Overview of natural CO2-fixing enzymes (carboxylases) and their mechanistic similarities.
• Examples of biocatalytic cascades utilizing carboxylases for synthesis.
• Identification of strategies to improve CO2 fixation efficiency, including pathway design and equilibrium shifting.
• Assessment of reduced CO2 derivatives as viable substrates.

Conclusions:

• Enzymatic CO2 fixation offers significant potential for biotechnological applications and reducing CO2 emissions.
• Biocatalysis using carboxylases and decarboxylases provides a versatile platform for synthesizing valuable products.
• Alternative strategies, such as utilizing reduced CO2 derivatives, enhance the scope of enzymatic carbon capture.