Major breakthroughs in China's science and technology in 2021

12. Chinese scientists for the first time synthesize starch from carbon dioxide

Chinese scientists have developed an artificial method of synthesizing starch from carbon dioxide, a global first. The study was conducted by the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and published online on the journal Science on Sept 24.

Experts said if such technique can be scaled-up to the level of industrialization, it may revolutionize how this key nutrient and industrial ingredient is made, since it does not require farming and processing large quantity of starchy crops such as sweet potato and maize, thus saving more water, fertilizer, and arable land. It may also be used to recycle carbon dioxide, a common industrial waste and a greenhouse gas, into a consumable product.