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<p>Current production of polylactic acid (PLA) relies on agricultural feedstocks. Utilizing solar chemicals produced from CO<sub>2</sub> by artificial photosynthesis offers a sustainable alternative for producing biodegradable plastics. However, the direct synthesis of PLA from CO<sub>2</sub> within a cell factory remains challenging. Here, we report the direct production of PLA in engineered <i>Escherichia coli</i> from CO<sub>2</sub> via ethanol or acetate, which are produced from CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis with solar energy. More importantly, we found that cofeeding ethanol and acetate synergistically enhanced PLA production. The PLA titer under cofeeding condition reached 5-folds and 53-folds of those obtained with ethanol or acetate alone, respectively. This cofeeding effect upregulated the glyoxylate shunt, the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, and serine anabolism, which facilitated efficient lactic acid generation from acetyl-CoA. By further integrating electroreduction and PLA bioproduction, we achieved PLA synthesis from CO<sub>2</sub> with a titer of 241&#xa0;mg/L. This work develops an agriculture-independent approach for bioplastic production from CO<sub>2</sub>, H<sub>2</sub>O, and renewable energy.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

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Synthesis of polylactic acid from solar C2 chemicals in engineered Escherichia coli

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月9日

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  • Yingchen Wang,
  • Linqi Liu,
  • Wenhui Sun,
  • Xupeng Cao,
  • Wangyin Wang,
  • Can Li

摘要

Current production of polylactic acid (PLA) relies on agricultural feedstocks. Utilizing solar chemicals produced from CO2 by artificial photosynthesis offers a sustainable alternative for producing biodegradable plastics. However, the direct synthesis of PLA from CO2 within a cell factory remains challenging. Here, we report the direct production of PLA in engineered Escherichia coli from CO2 via ethanol or acetate, which are produced from CO2 electrolysis with solar energy. More importantly, we found that cofeeding ethanol and acetate synergistically enhanced PLA production. The PLA titer under cofeeding condition reached 5-folds and 53-folds of those obtained with ethanol or acetate alone, respectively. This cofeeding effect upregulated the glyoxylate shunt, the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, and serine anabolism, which facilitated efficient lactic acid generation from acetyl-CoA. By further integrating electroreduction and PLA bioproduction, we achieved PLA synthesis from CO2 with a titer of 241 mg/L. This work develops an agriculture-independent approach for bioplastic production from CO2, H2O, and renewable energy.

Graphical abstract