Urease‐Mediated Reversible Calcium Carbonate Mineralization for Single Living Yeast Cell Nanoencapsulation

Abstract Modifying cells to achieve desired functions has attracted extensive attention in bioengineering and bio‐manufacturing. Approaches based on cell‐surface engineering have the potential to endow cells with multiple functions and also create a protective shell around them. However, such shells are generally irreversible and lack functionality, leading to various drawbacks associated with irreversible dynamics. This study describes a facile strategy for enzyme‐catalyzed reversible CaCO ₃ mineralization for single‐living yeast cell nanoencapsulation. Urease is employed as an effective catalyst and covalently immobilized onto the yeast cell surface using poly(sodium acrylate) as the mediator. CaCO ₃ mineralization proceeds via urease‐catalyzed urea hydrolysis and coprecipitation with CaCl ₂ . Because urease covalently bonds to the yeast cell surface, reversible mineralization is achieved through EDTA‐induced decomposition and urease‐induced remineralization. In addition, the encapsulated urease endowed the engineered cell with catalytic sites for urea utilization, demonstrating the multifunctionality of the shell. This strategy realizes enzyme‐catalyzed reversible mineralization of single living cells and demonstrates its potential in the construction of multifunctional shells, providing a nanoscale tool for structural modification to obtain single‐cell factories for application in bioengineering and bio‐manufacturing.