Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1002/elsc.70063
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Exploring ectoine production from methanol, formate, and electrochemically produced formate by Methyloligella halotolerans
Author Kas, A. ORCID logo ; Izadi, P. ORCID logo ; Lenz, C.; Rohwerder, T.; Krömer, J.O.; Harnisch, F. ORCID logo
Source Titel Engineering in Life Sciences
Year 2026
Department MIBITECH
Volume 26
Issue 1
Page From e70063
Language englisch
Topic T7 Bioeconomy
Supplements Supplement 1
Keywords C1-substrates; ectoine; electrochemical CO2 reduction; formate utilization; Methyloligella halotolerans
Abstract Microbial synthesis using renewable C1-carbon sources like electrochemically produced formate (e-formate) represents a promising approach for climate-neutral chemical production. This study investigates formate utilization for ectoine biosynthesis by the halophilic methylotroph Methyloligella halotolerans. Preliminary growth assays confirmed formate utilization using 15–20 mM formate as the sole energy source substrate, when supplemented with yeast extract or vitamin solutions in a mineral salt medium. In a systematic study for ectoine production, formate utilization reached 0.305 ± 0.020 mmol d−1 at 20 mM. With different C1-substrates at 20 mM (3 mmol), ectoine production reached 10.3 ± 3.2 µmol (from methanol), 6.5 ± 0.8 µmol (from equimolar methanol/formate mix), 4.4 ± 0.1 µmol (from formate), and 1.2 ± 0.1 µmol (from e-formate). Medium buffering, pH stability and toxicity limited performance when formate and e-formate were supplied. Although ectoine yields were suboptimal, the feasibility of e-formate-based ectoine biosynthesis under high-salinity conditions with 9% NaCl, as shown in this study, discloses the great potential for integrating highly efficient electrochemical CO2 reduction in saline media with microbial synthesis of organic chemicals.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=31853
Kas, A., Izadi, P., Lenz, C., Rohwerder, T., Krömer, J.O., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Exploring ectoine production from methanol, formate, and electrochemically produced formate by Methyloligella halotolerans
Eng. Life Sci. 26 (1), e70063 10.1002/elsc.70063