An engineered version of this Escherichia coli bacterium gets all the carbon it needs to grow from carbon dioxide, just like plants.

By Robert F. ServiceNov. 27, 2019 , 11:00 AM

Synthetic biologists have performed a biochemical switcheroo. Theyve re-engineered a bacterium that normally eats a diet of simple sugars into one that builds its cells by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), much like plants. The work could lead to engineered microbes that suck CO2 out of the air and turn it into medicines and other high-value compounds.

The implications of this are profound, says Dave Savage, a biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved with the work. Such advances, he says, could ultimately make us change the way we teach biochemistry.

Biologists typically break the world up into two types of organisms: autotrophs like plants and some bacteria that mostly use photosynthesis to convert CO2 into sugars and other organic compounds they need to build their cells. Meanwhile, the heterotrophs (thats us and pretty much everything else) get those building blocks from the organisms they consume.

Synthetic biologists have long tried to engineer plants and autotrophic bacteria to produce valuable chemicals and fuels from water and CO2, because it has the potential to be cheaper than other routes. But so far theyve been far more successful at getting the heterotrophic bacterium Escherichia coliknown to most people as the microbe that lives in our guts and sometimes triggers food poisoningto produce ethanol and other desired chemicals more cheaply than other approaches. Its not always cheap, however; these engineered E. coli strains must eat a steady diet of sugars, increasing the costs of the effort.

So, Ron Milo, a synthetic biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and his colleagues decided to see whether they could transform E. coli into an autotroph. To do so, they re-engineered two essential parts of the bacteriums metabolism: how it gets energy and what source of carbon it uses to grow.

On the energy side, the researchers couldnt give the bacterium the ability to carry out photosynthesis, because the process is too complex. Instead, they inserted the gene for an enzyme that enabled the microbe to eat formate, one of the simplest carbon-containing compounds, and one other strains of E. coli cant eat. The microbes could then transform the formate into ATP, an energy-rich molecule that cells can use. That diet gave the microbe the energy it needed to use the second batch of three new enzymes it receivedall of which enabled it to convert CO2 into sugars and other organic molecules. The researchers also deleted several enzymes the bacterium normally uses for metabolism, forcing it to depend on the new diet to grow.

The changes didnt initially produce bacteria capable of living on formate and CO2, however. The researchers suspected the nutrients were still being directed toward its natural metabolism. So, they placed batches of the engineered E. coli in vessels that allowed them to carefully control the microbes diet. The team started with basically a starvation diet of xylose, a sugar, along with formate and CO2. This allowed the microbes to at least survive and reproduce.

It also set the stage for evolution: If any bacterial offspring acquired genetic mutations that allowed them to thrive on that diet, they would produce more offspring than those that didnt evolve. The researchers steadily decreased the amount of xylose available to the microbes as well. After 300 days and hundreds of generations of mutating E. coli, the xylose was gone. Only those bacteria that had evolved into autotrophs survived.

In all, the evolved bacteria picked up 11 new genetic mutations that allowed them to survive without eating other organisms, the team reports today in Cell. It really shows how amazing evolution can be, in that it can change something so fundamental as cellular metabolism, Milo says.

I bow to them for making it succeed, says Pam Silver, a systems biologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston, who devoted years to a similar project.

Scientists have previously developed dozens of tools to manipulate E. colis genes so that it produces different compounds, such as pharmaceuticals and fuels. That means researchers should be able to insert these changes autotrophic E. coli that eat formate, which is readily made by zapping CO2 in water with electricity. As a result, formate produced from wind and solar power could help engineered bacteria make ethanol and other fuels, or pharmaceuticals, such as the malaria-fighting drug artemisinin. Not bad for a makeover.

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This microbe no longer needs to eat food to grow, thanks to a bit of genetic engineering - Science Magazine

Photographs courtesy of Mareya Ibrahim/Eat Cleaner

Aliso Viejo resident Mareya Ibrahim is the author of Eat Like You Give a Fork: The Real Dish on Eating To Thrive, a book released earlier this year chock-full of nutrition advice and over 80 health-conscious recipes.

I really wanted this book to be a roadmap for people. I just want to help people get away from the confusion, says Ibrahim.

With over 26 years of experience in the food industry, Ibrahim is also a nutrition coach, chef, a podcast host of Recipes for Your Best Life, and founder of the patented produce wash Eat Cleaner. She has loved living by the coast and appreciates the Mexican influence on the Orange County food scene.

I kind of coined my culinary point of view MedMex because I really fused Mediterranean and Mexican cuisine a lot. Its kind of like my Mediterranean upbringing with my SoCal lifestyle. I have a lot of recipes in the book inspired by that fusion, says Ibrahim.

Ibrahim shares 5 helpful tips to living a healthier, more balanced lifestyle:

1 The 90/10 RuleYou have to have balance. I think the bottom line is if you eat in a balanced way 90 percent time of the time, you get to indulge some of the time and its good for you and important for you. The truth is one good meal wont make you healthy, and one bad meal will not send you into the abyss. Theres a science to how you combine your essential nutrients.

2 Eat small meals frequently.Eat small meals every 3 to 4 hours. One of the strategies in the book is an intermittent fast two days a week, so you just compress your eating window within an 8 hour window, but its not like youre fasting. I actually dont want people to fast where theyre not eating because it slows down your metabolism into thinking youre in distress. Chewing is important. Chewing triggers your metabolism to work.

3 Retrain Your TastebudsThe first step in the book is retraining your tastebuds because for a lot of people when you tell them, I want you to eat a lot of vegetables and leafy greens and theyve never really done that before, theyre gonna be like, Well, I dont like greens. You have to teach people to change their tastebuds so they crave different flavors other than salt and sweet. I want you to love produce just as much as you would love a cookie.

4 Build Sustainable HabitsMy approach is what you can do for life. I dont think you could do (diets like) Keto for life. Youd be depriving yourself of so much. I think that as human beings and as omnivores, we get a lot of choice. The truth is there really isnt one, restrictive diet that gets you to the finish line without making you feel like youre missing out on something. Just because youre taking out a food group doesnt necessarily mean youre eating better.

5 Eat With Other PeopleWhen you eat with other people, you eat 30 percent less because you eat slower. You get fuller faster, youre engaging in conversation. Its a different experience when youre eating alone. I want people to feel like food is the glue that brings us together. It doesnt have to be this scary, daunting thing.

Ibrahim also launched the 8-week, supplementary program Eat To Thrive that walks you through the process of eating cleaner. Find recipes, tips, her book, and more at @eatcleaner, eatcleaner.com, or mareyaibrahim.com.

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5 Health and Wellness Tips From Aliso Viejo Resident and Cookbook Author Mareya Ibrahim - Orange Coast Magazine

A USA TODAY motion graphic tallying up how many calories a typical Thanksgiving feast can add up to. By Ramon Padilla and Veronica Bravo, USA TODAY. Source USDA and Harriet Roth's Fat Counter. NOTE: Calories can vary depending on cooking preferences. USA TODAY

It's probably the last question you want to be thinking about on Thanksgiving Day:How many calories are you actuallyeating on Turkey Day?

Thanksgiving feasts aren't like a bag of Doritos or a bottle of root beer; nutrition facts aren't readily available and portion sizes tend to differ quite a bit. But while Thanksgiving feasts vary, there's generally one theme that holds true: People eat a lot on the holiday.

Accounting for appetizers and desserts, the average American consumes a little over3,000 calories and 150 grams of fatin a Thanksgiving meal, according to the Calorie Control Council. And that's without going back for seconds!

However you slice it, many Americans are taking in significantly more calories than they will actually burn off.

A 160 pound person would have to run at a moderate pace for four hours, swim for five hours or walk 30 miles to burn off a 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving Day meal, said Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist at the American Council on Exercise.

As daunting as those physical tasks might sound,there are several thingsyou can do to combat the monstrous-size meals that don'tinvolve, say, hitting the pool for five hours.

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To compensate for the high-fat foods often served on Thanksgiving, the council recommends you plan ahead and target light, low-fat foodsfor the days following.

Thinking of starving yourself the morning of Thanksgiving? Think again, the council says. It's best to look for low-fat options for breakfast and lunch that day. Egg whites for breakfast followed by a salad for lunch, for instance, would make for a great start.

Expecting a crowd? A group walk after dinner can be great to connect with family and friends while getting some steps in. Or, if you're feeling up to it, a "Turkey Bowl" pick-up football game can burn off some calories (and ignite sibling rivalries).

Turkey Trots have made Thanksgiving Day the most popular day for a race in the U.S. That's according to Running USA, which reported that more than 1million runners registered to run or walk inraces of a variety of distances across the nation in 2018.

Finally, if your diet gets off track around the food-friendly holiday, don't panic!Having a thoughtful diet plan for the days before and after Thanksgiving gives you enough time to account for the day's festivities, the council notes.

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How many calories are in that Thanksgiving meal? (And what does it take to burn it off?) - USA TODAY

Curried lamb and apricot hummus and a side of zhug to spice things up. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Zhug has found steady business in Cleveland Heights' Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood on every night of its first week of business.

The new restaurant and bar, run by chef and restaurateur Doug Katz and director of operations Todd Thompson, doesnt take reservations, instead depending on the busy Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood to provide its customers. And so far, they said, new spot has been received well.

Zhug takes over the space formerly occupied by Liquid Planet, at 12413 Cedar Road, replacing it with a unique Mediterranean and Middle Eastern eatery. A full bar offers inventive cocktails, along with a complete wine and beer list.

The menus food options are all inspired by the name of the place: zhug, or a spicy Middle Eastern chutney made of serrano peppers and spices. Dishes are served family-style, and many of the individual plates -- which include hummus, kafta, squash donuts and more -- were inspired from a recent trip that Katz, Thompson and chef Andrew Mansour took to Tel Aviv, Israel.

It's the latest restaurant opening for Katz. Earlier this year, he opened a new concept called Chutney B. in Shaker Heights' bustling Van Aken District. He continues to run his longtime staple Fire Food & Drink, and Fire Spice Company. He's also the chef partner at Cleveland Museum of Art's Provenance Cafe.

We chatted with Katz and Thompson about the new restaurant, inspirations behind the menu, and their other business ventures.

Specialty drinks: The Gazoz #1, a non-alcoholic drink with Rooibos and hibiscus tea, lemon juice and honey syrup, and the Zhug #3, dry gin with fennel roots and fronds, Falernum, lime juice. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Zhug is inspired by a trip to Israel. I was wondering how that travel has been used to influence the menu here, and at all your other restaurants as well?

Katz: "Before that -- at Fire [Food and Drink] -- we have an Indian clay oven, a tandoori oven, and so we've learned a lot about using spices in cooking. After opening Fire, I created a company called Fire Spice Company, where we toast and ground spices and put them in boxes with recipes. From that, we opened a new business this year called Chutney B. The focus in that is Thai, Indian and Morroccan rice bowls, using great curries and spice. We also top those bowls with chutney. The traditional Indian chutney would be hari chutney, but at that restaurant, we use zhug. It's a green chile chutney, with serrano chiles, green cardamom, lemon, parsely, all different spices.

"We decided that, here, we wanted to open a really fun bar room, a high-energy bar feel, and to focus on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean, because those were two areas where we hadnt really focused as much. Thats really what Zhug is about. We took a trip to Tel Aviv to really do some research and development on the idea, and every night we were saying to ourselves, when can we come back here and do it again? We did that, and I also went to Morocco last year, and we went to New Orleans, and I went to Denver, and we really explored Israeli restaurants. Were calling this Middle Eastern mezze, which is really just shareable food that you enjoy with your friends or other people."

A side of zhug to spice things up. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Could you talk more about the menu -- highlights from it, things you want to mention?

Katz: "Noah Biddle is our bar manager, and he has created an amazing cocktail list. We have non-alcoholic and alcoholic cocktails. Todd [Thompson] has curated the wine and beer lists. Andrew Mansour is our chef. Both of us, for a year, have sat down and gone through so many iterations and so many ideas. Weve had so many tastings on the actual menu. I think whats important is having a mixture of meat items and vegetarian items and vegan and gluten-free. We tried to create a menu of about 30 items where people could mix and match things that go together. We have a lot of different vegetables. Well change the seasonal items, seasonally. We use a lot of local.

"We use local Miller Farm grass-fed beef for our kafta, which are little beef grilled patties served with feta and fennel and radishes. We have a braised lamb dish, local carrots from Rainbow Farm right now with hazelnuts and a coconut lime sauce. We have great octopus that we smoke in-house, and serve with potatoes and saffron aioli and olive tapenade. We have great bread to eat with all of it. We have a curried lamb hummus, with apricots. We have nigella seed and burnt onion hummus, all of course with a lot of different-flavored oils. We have desserts -- a mango sorbet with a chili syrup, and we have truffles. A tahini ice cream sundae with a ganache hot fudge and salted pistachios."

Thompson: "The reaction has been great. We were, of course, nervous about introducing this dining style, mixing it all together. Obviously there are places that already do that -- but, doing it the way we wanted to do it -- we werent sure coming from a background like Fire, which has a traditional way of dining, that our guests would be agreeable to it. But its been great, no problem at all. They really enjoy the idea of sharing food."

Local cracked wheat salad with shaved apples and carrots. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

It seems like at all your restaurants, there are all kinds of dishes to compliment dietary restrictions. Why is that aspect important to you?

Katz: "Its super important, and where were located, were right next to the hospital. People come to Cleveland to have their health checked. The amount of restricted diets, and the amount of care that people have for their diets is so important to our customers. Also, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes tend to match well with these kinds of special diets that are current today."

Thompson: "Theres meat on the menu, but its not the focus of the menu. Even the meat dishes are not like a traditional 12-ounce pork chop with some potatoes and carrots. The meat is mixed in, but its not the focus. I really think thats where dining is heading, and I also think its environmentally conscious. That was not the main motivating factor, but it sure doesnt hurt. We feel good about that, and its also healthy. I think all but three things on this menu are gluten-free."

Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

I noticed the design is very different from what it used to be when it was Liquid Planet. Could you talk about the layout of the restaurant itself, and what youre going for with the design?

Thompson: "Kelly Shaffer is our designer, and what we really wanted to do when we came in here was accentuate the ceilings. It's a beautiful old building, and we really wanted to work with that. Instead of a new buildout, we wanted to use something that had some flavor to it, some history to it. I think the food does, too, so the space was important to that. We wanted to make it elegant, but also very friendly and open, with a cool vibe to it that accentuates that bar atmosphere. Something a little bit exotic -- not kitschy, but exotic."

Katz: "Weve had so many artists take part in the design. Kelly [Shaffer] brought team of people. Shred & Company built our bar, they did all of our steel work, the cart shelf, the tables, the front table, the shelves. Billy Ritter did a lot of the ceramic pottery, and if you look at the artwork on the walls, those are Billy Ritter pieces that have been photographed onto muslin material. Keith Arion built out the space. He lives in Shaker, and hes an amazing general contractor. He was really stress-free through the entire project."

Thompson: "That was a part of the collaboration as well -- local farmers, local artists. Shred & Company, you can tell by the look of the tables, that those are handmade by local people. It really shows, its worth the time, and energy, and investment to do that. I think it adds a great deal to the overall experience. Plus, theyre great guys. All the people we work with are so great, and just made the project that much more fun and energetic."

Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

In Cleveland Heights, Katz Club Diner was damaged in a fire five years ago. What's it like to open Zhug in this community, a couple of miles from the diner?

Katz: "Really fun. I live about five blocks from here and five blocks from the diner. We cater out of the diner and we just leased to Rising Star Coffee, so they're actually open in the front of the diner. And this is five blocks the other way, in this really vibrant bar scene with Vero and Parnell's and Nighttown and the Fairmount and Luna and Appletree Books. So to be able to open this kind of place in my own neighborhood is just so fun. It makes it so nice to live and work in the same area. We know that we can't go to Tel Aviv every week or every month, but now we've brought Tel Aviv to Cleveland Heights, and can remember that every day that we're working, and share that with everyone as well."

Thompson: "I mean, Tel Aviv and other elements through travelling is just so important, to see the elements that exist in different cities and whats going on, and mix that with the things that are exciting about whats going on in our own city, and put it all together to create this unique melange - it all comes together."

Katz: "When you go to a restaurant today, I think restaurants are about exploring culture. We have such diverse culture in Cleveland these days with all the cultural institutions, with the hospitals. I think to be able to eat in this way where youre sharing small bites of food -- instead of going to maybe a more traditional restaurant and ordering the first, second and third courses, its super fun to be able to do this as well, because its so new to Cleveland."

Thompson: "We wanted to work with that communal aspect of dining, and how that is so traditional in a lot of the world. Sharing plates, sharing foods, sharing flavors -- we wanted to put that into this type of atmosphere, so youre going to have good cocktails and walk around and talk to your friends. This doesnt have to be a fine-dining type of restaurant. I love those types of restaurants, but theyre very formal. This is completely the opposite of that."

Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

There are no reservations accepted here. Why?

Thompson: "I think reservations go hand-in-hand with fine dining. We wanted everyone to have an equal opportunity to eat here. With the neighborhood we have, its almost like an extended waiting area. If our bar is full, you can put your name on the list, and you can go to Parnells, or Appletree Books, and well text you when your table is ready. I think that just allows everybody an equal shot, and in a neighborhood restaurant I think thats important. If we take reservations, that means that the prime dining times, every night we would be taking reservations and that would mean no one could ever just walk up. We want that feeling -- that you could just walk up -- because were not fine dining. We can pull tables together, we can do whatever we need to accommodate whoever walks into the front door. Reservations are pretty staid. It makes for a pretty static environment. We want to make sure its open and fun, and that we have the ability to work with customers however they show up."

Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Earlier, you mentioned the Spice Company -- I think its interesting how you bring a ton of flavors to your restaurants, but youre also bringing these flavors into peoples homes. Could you talk about the success of that?

Katz: "Its a product we created. Its not the thing I spend most of my days on. Around the holiday time, it becomes more popular. Whats nice is, we sell them at Fire. Whenever people walk in and are visiting from out of town and experiencing some food item, on their way in or out theyll buy them for their friends. Its a nice thing, were able to give people something. I havent written a cookbook; I look at that, sort of, as my cookbook."

Like mini-cookbooks.

Thompson: "But theyre interactive. You get to do it."

Katz: "And we can give people the techniques we use in the professional cookbook to use at home."

Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

How is everything going at Fire, and at Provenance?

Katz: "Really great. We have a team of close to 90 people now. We are so lucky we have an amazing management team. Weve grown in a very calculated way, where we have people taking new positions on where theyve been with the company for a while and we can really nurture their development. It allows us to stay strong at Fire, it allows us to stay strong in the other places. Provenance is run by Bon Appetit, Im the chef partner, so it doesnt put as much strain on the operation, though it does take up some of my time."

See more photos of Zhug below.

Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Zhug

Specialty drinks: The Zhug #3, dry gin with fennel roots and fronds, Falernum, lime juice and the Gazoz #1, a non-alcoholic drink with Rooibos and hibiscus tea, lemon juice and honey syrup. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Zhug

Doug Katz talks with guests. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Zhug

Smoked pastrami short rib with celery root and red kraut. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Squash "donuts" in a crme anglaise, blood oranges. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Zhug in Cleveland Heights. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Zhug

Curried lamb and apricot hummus. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Warm white beans with local tomatoes, basil oil and garlic aioli. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Zhug

Editor's note: A quote in this story previously mistakenly listed an ingredient as "curry chutney." It has been corrected to "hari chutney."

For photos and videos on the extraordinary food and drinking scenes in Northeast Ohio, follow @DineDrinkCLE on Instagram.

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Zhug bursts with Mediterranean flavors in Cleveland Heights: Q&A with Douglas Katz and Todd Thompson - cleveland.com

In 2009, Ben Davis of Livonia, Michigan, was told he would never have a pain-free day again.

After multiple U.S. Army combat deployments throughout the Middle East between 2003 and 2009, Davis had sustained injuries throughout most of his body. He broke both of his wrists and hands, both clavicles, and numerous ribs; damaged his intercostal cartilage along his ribs; suffered bursitis in both shoulders; and sustained stress fractures in both of his feet. He lost significant hearing in both ears and had bilateral tinnitus (ringing in the ears). He was also diagnosed with PTSD and had a mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

According to Davis, who is now 39, these injuries were common, if not expected, in the military.

Its to be expected when you are in an environment where you are told that if you seek help, then you are weakand no one ever wants to be considered to be weak, said Davis. In our free time, we were encouraged to do hand-to-hand combat training with each other. When you werent doing that, you were working out or finding other ways to beat your body up. You just live in pain and deal with it.

It wasnt until he finished serving and moved back to the U.S. in 2009 that he fully comprehended the damage it had done to his body. The most severe injury that he sustained was to his hip, which he described as being nearly destroyed. It was so bad that doctors in Washington, D.C., told him he might never run or jump again, and that daily pain was inevitable.

When Davis was prescribed a cocktail of prescription pills to treat the pain as well as depression, anxiety, and insomnia, he was wary of the effects of depending upon medications for daily functioning.

From 2008 to 2011 I lost 13 friends to suicideguys just like me with similar injuries, said Davis. I didnt want to end up like that and I didnt know what was causing them to, but I knew that all of the medication probably wasnt a good thing.

Without the medication, however, Davis was constantly in pain and at a loss for solutions. Searching for answers, he enrolled in Wayne State University in Michigan to study kinesiology, with a research emphasis on non-pharmacological interventions for PTSD.

Though he was learning more about movement science, by 2017, Daviss own fitness was falling by the wayside. His sedentary lifestylewhich was prompted by chronic pain and little energy, due to depression and anxietyresulted in steady weight gain, and he eventually reached 400 pounds. At this point, Davis was desperate to try anything to get back the body he once had as a soccer player and soldier.

By accident, he came across the Keto diet, which emphasizes foods that are low in carbs and high in fats. Upon further research, he was surprised to find research that suggested the diet might be beneficial in treating PTSD and having positive effects on TBIs.

After adapting to the Keto diet, Davis lost 100 pounds in nine months, had significantly diminished pain, and his brain felt sharper. With his newfound energy, he began to exercise again, starting with light yoga and calisthenics, and eventually, he started to run.

By the end of 2017, Davis was able to run 10 miles continuously. The immense improvement that had happened in Daviss life got him thinking that if diet and exercise had changed his life, it might help the lives of other vets too.

This year, Davis decided to take on a ultrarunning challenge that would encourage others like him to combat the physical and mental effects of war with exercise, plus raise funds for nonprofits that help veterans. Earlier this fall, he started a Fundly page to raise money for Victory Gym VHC, Team RWB, and Arsenal of Hopeall of which provide services to veterans. Then on November 8, Davis he completed a 22-hour run in Livonia, Michigan, clocking 107 miles.

The 22 hours is significant because there are 22 veteran suicides per day, said Davis. I wanted to run it around Veterans Day to raise awareness for a few organizations that promote veteran recovery through physical activity, as well as to show both veterans and regular people that even with a PTSD diagnosis, you can achieve great things.

Ben Davis

Davis began training for the 22-hour challenge in July by running twice a week (no more than 10 miles each time), weight lifting three times a week, and doing yoga on three or four days per week. He eventually increased his mileage to 40 miles per week in August, then continued to maintain relatively low weekly mileage supplemented by yoga through the fall.

[Stay injury free on the road by getting on the mat with Yoga for Runners.]

Of the nonprofits he was raising funds and awareness for, Davis is most excited about Victory Gym, which offers one-on-one health coaching, rehab, and personal training free of cost for more than 1,000 veterans in the area.

Despite being hypothermic and dehydrated, Davis kept at it for the full 22 hours. His total mileage was almost 50 miles more than his previous record of 100k (62 miles).

I could not have done that if people didnt just show up throughout the 22 hours and say, Hey, Im here to run with you, said Davis. I was never alone that entire time.

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Michigan Veteran Runs 22 Hours to Support Others Living with PTSD - runnersworld.com