Researchers from Northwestern and Stanford Universities have developed the ReForm pathway, a cell-free synthetic system that transforms CO2 into acetyl-CoA. This essential molecule serves as a primary building block for producing plastics, medicines, and other industrial materials, offering a potential route for carbon-negative manufacturing. By combining electrochemistry with engineered enzymes, the system bypasses the biological limitations of living cells. The process uses electricity to convert CO2 into formate, which is then processed through a series of non-natural reactions to create versatile chemical feedstocks.
