Overview
- Peer-reviewed findings in Nature Biotechnology report xanthommatin titers of roughly 1–3 grams per liter, about a 1,000-fold increase over prior methods.
- The researchers rewired Pseudomonas putida to link production of xanthommatin and formic acid to cell growth, creating a self-sustaining feedback loop.
- Adaptive laboratory evolution and robotic optimization rapidly improved strains and enabled production from a single carbon source such as glucose.
- The work, led by UC San Diego with the Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, removes a key supply bottleneck for the light-responsive pigment.
- Potential uses being explored include natural sunscreens, color-changing paints, photoelectronic devices, environmental sensors, and adaptive camouflage, with scale-up and regulatory steps still ahead.