Engineered autotrophic bacteria for CO

1 . A population of recombinant bacteria which is genetically modified to express formate dehydrogenase (FDH), phosphoribulokinase (prk) and Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo), wherein the recombinant bacteria is E. Coli , wherein the bacteria is capable of autotrophic growth following a culturing protocol which comprises:

(a) culturing said bacteria in a medium comprising a pentose or hexose sugar;

and subsequently

(b) reducing the amount of said pentose or hexose sugar in said medium and increasing the amount of formate in said medium.

2 . The population of recombinant bacteria of claim 1 , being further genetically modified to express carbonic anhydrase (CA).

3 . The population of recombinant bacteria of claim 1 , wherein said bacteria is modified so as to delete 6-phosphate-1-dehydrogenase (zwf), phosphofructokinase A (pfkA) and phosphofructokinase B (pfkB).

4 . The population of recombinant bacteria of claim 1 ,

(a) wherein glucosephosphate isomerase (pgi) of said bacteria comprises a H386Y mutation;

(b) wherein phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthase (prs) of said bacteria comprises a I171T mutation;

(c) wherein uridylate kinase (pyrH) of the bacteria comprises a I133M mutation; and/or

(d) wherein 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (aroH) of said bacteria comprises D109N mutation.

5 . The population of recombinant bacteria of claim 1 , having a D866E mutation in RNA polymerase, beta subunit (rpoB).

6 . The population of recombinant bacteria of claim 1 , being an autotroph.

7 . The population of recombinant bacteria of claim 1 , wherein the bacteria is not, in its native state, capable of biosynthesizing metabolites by utilizing CO 2 as a sole carbon source.

8 . A cell culture comprising a medium and the population of recombinant bacteria of claim 1 , wherein said medium comprises formate.

9 . The cell culture of claim 8 , being devoid of an additional organic carbon source.