Swashing motility: A novel propulsion-independent mechanism for surface migration in and .

Bacterial motility over surfaces is crucial for colonization, biofilm formation, and pathogenicity. Surface motility in and is traditionally believed to rely on flagellar propulsion. Here, we report a novel mode of motility, termed "swashing," where these bacteria migrate on agar surfaces without functional flagella.

Functional plasticity of HCO uptake and CO fixation in Cupriavidus necator H16.

Despite its prominence, the ability to engineer Cupriavidus necator H16 for inorganic carbon uptake and fixation is underexplored. We tested the roles of endogenous and heterologous genes on C. necator inorganic carbon metabolism.

Trajectories for the evolution of bacterial CO-concentrating mechanisms.

Cyanobacteria rely on CO-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) to grow in today's atmosphere (0.04% CO). These complex physiological adaptations require ≈15 genes to produce two types of protein complexes: inorganic carbon (Ci) transporters and 100+ nm carboxysome compartments that encapsulate rubisco with a carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme.

Metabolic Engineering of Cupriavidus necator H16 for Sustainable Biofuels from CO.

Decelerating global warming is one of the predominant challenges of our time and will require conversion of CO to usable products and commodity chemicals. Of particular interest is the production of fuels, because the transportation sector is a major source of CO emissions. Here, we review recent technological advances in metabolic engineering of the hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Cupriavidus necator H16, a chemolithotroph that naturally consumes CO to generate biomass.