Overview
- The study reports xanthommatin titers of roughly 1–3 grams per liter, an increase of about 1,000 times over prior milligram‑level methods.
- Engineered microbes produce the pigment together with formic acid that fuels growth, creating a self‑sustaining production loop.
- Robotic high‑throughput evolution and machine learning identified beneficial mutations and enabled production directly from a single nutrient source.
- The peer‑reviewed findings appear in Nature Biotechnology, with key contributions from Bradley Moore, Leah Bushin and Adam Feist.
- Potential uses include cosmetics, UV protectants, photoelectronic devices, thermal coatings, color‑changing paints and environmental sensors, with interest reported from the U.S. Department of Defense and skincare companies.