A biocompatible Lossen rearrangement in Escherichia coli

Synthesis of the Lossen rearrangement substrate was achieved from a waste PET bottle and incorporated metabolically to generate biomass and control whole-cell biotransformations. The substrate was syphoned into a de novo biosynthetic pathway to paracetamol, demonstrating the production of this essential medication from plastic waste via a strategy that cannot be achieved using chemical synthesis or biological synthesis alone.