Biocatalytic units based on enzyme Crystals for efficient Continuous CO2 Conversion to formate
Utilizing CO2 as a carbon source for production of high-in-demand chemicals represents a win-win strategy by both replenishing fossil-fuel processes and simultaneously assisting in mitigating CO2 accumulation and climate change.
In Bio4C we propose a revolutionary biomimetic system for effective and sustainable CO2 fixation into formate, an energy vector for biofuel or value-added chemicals generation. The overall goal is to develop a new bio-enabled material capable of effective conversion of CO2 to alternative fuels and chemicals, where the complex chemical processes carried out in bacteria or living cells are reproduced by a biomimetic artificial system composed of individual enzymes in their active form, closely packed to reach the highest possible density and embedded into bacterial-like coats able to preserve the enzymes in working conditions and allowing the entry of reagents (CO2, HCO3-), the exit of the product (HCOO-) and the exchange of electron-transfer mediators. Formate dehydrogenase (FDH) enzymes in the crystal form will be used as catalyst to convert CO2 into formate.
