Breaking the photosynthetic monopoly on carbohydrate production through artificial synthesis.

Artificial carbohydrate synthesis pathways surpass photosynthesis, potentially revolutionizing sustainable carbon fixation and addressing human demand for efficient, scalable production.

• Why it matters: Photosynthesis's limitations hinder its ability to meet modern needs for sustainable and efficient carbohydrate production, creating a critical gap in renewable energy and carbon management solutions.
• What they did: The review examines three innovative approaches—direct electrochemical CO2 reduction, synthetic enzymatic cascades, and hybrid bio-artificial systems—highlighting key challenges like cofactor regeneration and catalyst selectivity.
• The result: Integrating AI-driven catalyst design, modular synthetic biology, and renewable energy could enable cost-effective, distributed manufacturing of designer carbohydrates, transforming circular carbon economies and waste CO2 utilization.