Nature, Published online: 30 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00275-8
Engineered Escherichia coli could open the door to more sustainable routes to new drugs and other chemicals.
Light-powered bacteria become living chemical factories
Escherichia coli cultures can produce compounds that aren't found in nature when activated by light. Credit: Choksawatdikorn/Science Photo Library
