Core Insights - The third-generation biorefining technology aims to utilize one-carbon molecules and renewable energy for "negative carbon" production of fuels and chemicals, addressing climate change and food shortages [1] - Acetic acid, derived from syngas fermentation, is increasingly recognized as a viable non-food carbon source in the biosynthesis of bulk chemicals [1] - 3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) is a renewable bulk chemical with a projected market size exceeding 3.6 million tons per year and a value surpassing $10 billion annually [1] Summary by Sections - **Engineering Achievements**: A research team from East China University of Science and Technology successfully constructed an engineered E. coli strain (ZWR18(MDA)) that synthesizes 3-HP from acetic acid via the propanoyl-CoA pathway, achieving a yield of 5.53 g/L and a conversion rate of 0.732 g/g, which is 97.60% of the theoretical yield [2][6] - **Cell-Catalyzed Production**: Under whole-cell catalysis conditions, the engineered strain can produce 23.89 g/L of 3-HP with a yield of 0.734 g/g, reaching 97.87% of the theoretical yield. When using acetic acid sourced from syngas, the strain still achieves 18.87 g/L of 3-HP with a yield of 0.58 g/g [2][6] - **Metabolic Pathway Insights**: The study outlines the metabolic pathway for converting acetic acid to 3-HP, highlighting the competition between fatty acid synthesis and 3-HP synthesis for propanoyl-CoA. The transcription factor FadR plays a crucial role in fatty acid metabolism, and the use of the antifungal antibiotic can further direct carbon flow towards 3-HP production [5][6] - **Publication Reference**: The research findings were published in "ACS Synthetic Biology" under the title "High-Yield Biosynthesis of 3‑Hydroxypropionic Acid from Acetate in Metabolically Engineered Escherichia coli" [3]