This depiction of ECR, an enzyme found in soil bacteria, shows each of its four identical molecules in a different color. These molecules work together in pairs – blue with white and green with orange – to turn carbon dioxide from the microbe’s environment into biomolecules it needs to survive. A new study shows that a spot of molecular glue and a timely swing and twist allow these pairs to sync their motions and fix carbon 20 times faster than plant enzymes do during photosynthesis.

A close-up look at Kitasatospora setae, a bacterium isolated from soil in Japan. These bacteria fix carbon – turn carbon dioxide from their environment into biomolecules they need to survive – thanks to enzymes called ECRs. Researchers are looking for ways to harness and improve ECRs for artificial photosynthesis to produce fuels, antibiotics and other products.