Biological Conversion of Formate to Organic Compounds: Toward a Sustainable Formate Bioeconomy

ABSTRACT Formate bioconversion plays a crucial role in achieving renewable resource utilization and green and sustainable development, as it helps convert formate to biofuels and biochemicals. However, to tap the full potential of formate bioconversion, it is important to identify the most appropriate microbial hosts, design the most promising formate assimilation pathways, and develop the most efficient formate assimilation cell factories. Here, we summarize the formatotrophic microorganisms capable of assimilating formate into building blocks of cell growth and analyze the characteristics of formate assimilation pathways for transmitting formate into central carbon metabolism. Furthermore, we discuss microbial engineering strategies to improve the efficiency of formate utilization for producing high‐value bioproducts. Finally, we highlight the key challenges of formate bioconversion and their possible solutions to advance the formate bioeconomy and biomanufacturing.