Biovalorization of lignin-derived substrates to vanillylamine via a self-sufficient amino donor and cofactor recycling whole-cell platform.

Lignin valorization through bioconversion to high-value chemicals is crucial for sustainable bioprocessing. Vanillin (VN), a primary lignin derivative, can be transaminated into vanillylamine (VM), a key precursor for capsaicin and pharmaceuticals. This study established a novel self-sufficient redox-complementary whole-cell system, facilitating the recycling of L-alanine and cofactors for efficient VM biosynthesis.