The group of ZHAO Zongbao has built an E.coli cell which uses a non‐natural cofactor and formate driven system for reductive carboxylation of pyruvate. To this end, a formate dehydrogenase (FDH) mutant, FDH*, that favors a non‐natural redox cofactor, nicotinamide cytosine dinucleotide (NCD), generates a dedicated reducing equivalent at the expense of formate. By coupling FDH* and NCD‐dependent malic enzyme (ME*), the successful utilization of formate as both CO2 source and electron donor for reductive carboxylation of pyruvate was shown, with a perfect stoichiometry between formate and malate. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.201915303