ATP Production from Electricity • A new-to-nature electrobiological module powering ATP synthesis directly from electrons

Electrical energy is a clean, programmable input that could directly power biological work if converted efficiently into biochemical currency. Yet the regeneration of ATP, the universal energy carrier for biosynthesis, information processing, and homeostasis, has been a long-standing challenge. Conventionally, ATP regeneration relies on membrane-bound phosphorylation or sacrificial small-molecule donors that add complexity and waste. Existing ATP regeneration in cell-free systems suffers from cost, by-product accumulation, or limited scalability, constraining continuous operations and integration with electrosynthesis. Bridging electrochemistry and biocatalysis therefore requires routes that interface electrodes with enzyme networks while maintaining high efficiency, stability, and control over reaction conditions.

Researchers from the Max-Planck-Institute for terrestrial microbiology have developed a new-to-nature electrobiological module, converting electrical energy into ATP. The so-called acid/aldehyde-ATP (AAA) cycle couples an electrochemical reductant to a four-enzyme, membrane-free cascade that converts a carboxylic acid to an acyl phosphate and then to ATP via a carboxylic acid kinase. The inventors have already realized a propionate-based version, which operates from -0.6 V vs. standard hydrogen Electrode (SHE) with continuous ATP regeneration and faradaic efficiencies up to 47%, and is compatible with IVT/IVTT and acyl-phosphate-driven chemistry.

• Minimal, membrane-free ATP module using a defined four-enzyme cascade
• Electricity-to-ATP conversion at −0.6 V with up to 47% faradaic efficiency
• Deployable with cell-free transcription/translation and ATP-coupled biocatalysis
• Tunable enzyme/electron-carrier sets; integrates with electrochemical cells

Continuous ATP supply for in vitro protein/RNA synthesis, metabolic prototyping, electrobio-catalytic synthesis (e.g., glucose-6-phosphate), and energy/information storage workflows.

The PCT application WO2025003282 was filed in 2024.

Luo et al., ATP production from electricity with a new-to-nature electrobiological module, Joule, 2023;
DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2023.07.012