Self‐Assembled Protein Cages in Living Bacterial Photocatalysis: Modular Design Achieves Selective Regeneration of NADH and Efficient CO <sub>2</sub> Fixation

Abstract The use of predesigned bioengineered proteins to construct spatially confined structures enables efficient integration of biological and nanomaterial components, offering new scientific directions for nano‐biohybrid systems. The unique properties of nanomaterials can alter the original biological paradigm to enable new metabolic pathways or new activation triggers. Inspired by the cascade process of “light‐driven electron transfer–cofactor regeneration–carbon assimilation” in natural photosynthesis, this study constructs a ternary synergistic system comprising a photocatalyst, protein cage, and live bacteria. By integrating a light‐induced electron module, a protein cage protective module, and a metabolic module, this system achieves selective NADH generation and efficient CO 2 fixation. The incorporation of the protein cage not only enhances enzyme stability but also physically separates the photosensitizer from the enzyme, thereby preserving the enzyme's conformational integrity and improving electron utilization efficiency. This biomimetic system demonstrates a significant enhancement in CO 2 ‐to‐formate conversion efficiency (6.8‐fold increase), showcasing robust functional integration potential and light energy utilization capability. This strategy opens new avenues for light‐driven green chemical synthesis, provides a paradigm for the deep integration of synthetic biology and green materials science, and lays a solid foundation for the development of next‐generation artificial photosynthetic cell factories.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-09-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202513487
Primary Topic
Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Self‐Assembled Protein Cages in Living Bacterial Photocatalysis: Modular Design Achieves Selective Regeneration of NADH and Efficient CO 2 Fixation

Zhengwei Xu, Cong Li, Jiayun Xu, Junqiu Liu et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
article

Self‐Assembled Protein Cages in Living Bacterial Photocatalysis: Modular Design Achieves Selective Regeneration of NADH and Efficient CO 2 Fixation

Zhengwei Xu, Cong Li, Jiayun Xu, Junqiu Liu, Hui Li, Xiaoxuan Yu, Sheng Bao, Tingting Wang, Yaqi Wu
article en

Abstract

Abstract The use of predesigned bioengineered proteins to construct spatially confined structures enables efficient integration of biological and nanomaterial components, offering new scientific directions for nano‐biohybrid systems. The unique properties of nanomaterials can alter the original biological paradigm to enable new metabolic pathways or new activation triggers. Inspired by the cascade process of “light‐driven electron transfer–cofactor regeneration–carbon assimilation” in natural photosynthesis, this study constructs a ternary synergistic system comprising a photocatalyst, protein cage, and live bacteria. By integrating a light‐induced electron module, a protein cage protective module, and a metabolic module, this system achieves selective NADH generation and efficient CO 2 fixation. The incorporation of the protein cage not only enhances enzyme stability but also physically separates the photosensitizer from the enzyme, thereby preserving the enzyme's conformational integrity and improving electron utilization efficiency. This biomimetic system demonstrates a significant enhancement in CO 2 ‐to‐formate conversion efficiency (6.8‐fold increase), showcasing robust functional integration potential and light energy utilization capability. This strategy opens new avenues for light‐driven green chemical synthesis, provides a paradigm for the deep integration of synthetic biology and green materials science, and lays a solid foundation for the development of next‐generation artificial photosynthetic cell factories.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 36(8)
Hangzhou Normal University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 76%
Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
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