Plug-and-play method transforms living cells into specialized chemical factories by combining synthetic biology with engineered enzymes

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-cells-chemicals-enzymes.html

"high-value chemical production using: microbes self-sustaining but limited by biology, isolated enzymes highly specific but expensive/ fragile, overcome combining methods... engineer E. coli producing specific precursor molecules from simple sugars, introduce non-natural enzymes into cell performing chemical reactions like carbene transfer, evolve these enzymes to work progressively better, funnel cell's natural energy/ carbon sources into reaction to keep cells alive... result: pure drug precursor cyclopropane"