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Abstract:
Can we redesign the central operating system of the global carbon cycle? Natural photosynthesis provides the blueprint for the sustainable capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) at planetary scale. Yet, it is only one possible solution that nature has realized over billions of years. Recent research has identified several new principles of CO2 fixation, which are more efficient than those used by photosynthesis. Moreover, with the advent of synthetic biology, it has become possible to further expand this natural diversity of biological CO2 fixation by “new-to-nature solutions". This opens up the possibility to develop radically novel, more efficient biological paths for CO2 conversions that nature has not explored so far. Here, we will discuss current efforts and challenges in designing and realizing such new solutions that could pave the way towards a human-made, alternative photosynthesis 2.0.
