Production and secretion of glucose in photosynthetic prokaryotes (cyanobacteria)

The present invention includes compositions and methods for making and using an isolated cyanobacterium that includes a portion of an exogenous bacterial cellulose operon sufficient to express bacterial cellulose, whereby the cyanobacterium produces extracellular glucose. The compositions and methods of the present invention may be used as a new global crop for the manufacture of cellulose, CO2 fixation, for the production of alternative sources of conventional cellulose as well as a biofuel and precursors thereof.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste