Expressing 2-keto acid pathway enzymes significantly increases photosynthetic isobutanol production.

This work demonstrates the feasibility to express heterologous genes with a combination of self-replicating plasmid-based system and genome-based system in Synechocystis cells. Obtained isobutanol-producing Synechocystis strains form the base for further investigation of continuous, long-term-photosynthetic isobutanol production from solar energy and carbon dioxide.