Methanol and formate are attractive microbial feedstocks as they can be sustainably produced from CO2 and renewable energy, are completely miscible, and are easy to store and transport. Here, we provide a biochemical perspective on microbial growth and bioproduction using these compounds. We show that anaerobic growth of acetogens on methanol and formate is more efficient than on H2/CO2 or CO. We analyze the aerobic C1 assimilation pathways and suggest that new-to-nature routes could outperform their natural counterparts. We further discuss practical bioprocessing aspects related to growth on methanol and formate, including feedstock toxicity. While challenges in realizing sustainable production from methanol and formate still exist, the utilization of these feedstocks paves the way towards a truly circular carbon economy.

中文翻译：

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可再生的甲醇和甲酸盐作为微生物原料。

甲醇和甲酸是有吸引力的微生物原料，因为它们可以通过二氧化碳和可再生能源可持续地生产，可以完全混溶，并且易于存储和运输。在这里，我们提供了使用这些化合物的微生物生长和生物生产的生化视角。我们表明，在甲醇和甲酸上，乙酸原菌的厌氧生长比在H2 / CO2或CO上的厌氧生长更有效。我们分析了有氧的C1同化途径，并提出了从自然到自然的途径可能胜过其自然对应途径。我们将进一步讨论与甲醇和甲酸盐生长有关的实际生物加工方面，包括原料毒性。尽管在实现甲醇和甲酸酯的可持续生产方面仍然存在挑战，但这些原料的利用为实现真正的循环碳经济铺平了道路。