Harnessing yeast for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production: Challenges, engineering strategies, and future prospects.

Biotechnological Stratagems for the Production of Microbial Bioplastics and Its Commercial Applications

Different bacteria, fungi, and algae have been reported to synthesize the biopolymer PHA; nonetheless, it is still possible to isolate effective wild-type bacteria that produce PHA. The many harsh settings may serve as possible habitats for bacteria that synthesize PHA. PHA is used in many different sectors, although its production costs are often extremely high. Process parameter optimization has long been recognized as a means of increasing PHA yield and manufacturing in large quantities. The traditional optimization approach focuses primarily on studying one element at a time and obscures the interactions between two or more factors that have an impact on output. Optimizing the carbon and nitrogen sources is necessary to increase PHA synthesis because medium components, pH, temperature, and agitation speed all have an impact on PHA production. When several parameters are taken into consideration, Plackett-Burman statistical modeling offers a novel method of sorting through the components and determining which ones are relevant. The response surface methodology functions as a robust approach to investigate and explore the independent and interactive effects of variables on PHA production. It is a highly effective and dependable statistical tool for evaluating the factors influencing PHA production.

Metabolic engineering of Candida yeasts for biotechnological applications.

Candida yeasts represent a versatile yet underexploited platform for industrial biotechnology. These yeasts utilize a remarkably broad range of carbon sources, particularly for hydrophobic carbon sources, coupled with robust growth and diverse biosynthetic capacities, making them promising hosts for sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and proteins. Despite these advantages, industrial deployment of Candida species has been hindered by concerns regarding opportunistic pathogenicity and the historical lack of efficient genetic manipulation tools, leading to a substantial gap between metabolic potential and practical utilization. Recent advances in functional genomics, genome editing, and systems metabolic engineering are rapidly overcoming these barriers, enabling more precise and efficient strain development. In this review, we systematically summarize recent progress in the metabolic engineering of Candida species as microbial cell factories, with particular emphasis on expanding genetic toolkits, utilizting renewable and non-conventional carbon sources, and biosynthesizing high-value compounds. In addition, we propose a biosafety-oriented classification framework to support their safe industrial deployment. Finally, we discuss current challenges and emerging opportunities, emphasizing that the synergy of synthetic biology and artificial intelligence-driven design holds the key to unlocking the biotechnological potential of Candida yeasts.

Metabolic engineering strategies: utilizing different microbial strains and advanced technologies for the synthesis of high-valued terpenoids

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have emerged as powerful tools for metabolic engineering by enabling pathway prediction, metabolic flux optimization, enzyme engineering, and identification of bottlenecks throughout terpenoid biosynthesis.

Engineered microorganisms unlock a new era of diterpenoid biomanufacturing: recent advances and future perspectives

Diterpenoids are natural compounds composed of four isoprene units. They possess diverse biological activities and widespread applications in the cosmetics, food additives and pharmaceutical. With the rapid advancement of synthetic biology, the biomanufacturing of diterpenoids via microbial metabolism has witnessed substantial advancements. Microbial chassis such as Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yarrowia lipolytica and Rhodosporidium toruloides, have been successfully engineered to enable efficient biosynthesis of these compounds, thereby demonstrating substantial potential for industrial-scale applications. In this review, the construction of diterpenoid biosynthetic pathways in microbial cell factories is summarized. The research progress and engineering strategies for efficient microbial synthesis of diterpenoids are discussed, and the key challenges and future directions facilitating the design of high-yield diterpenoid production platforms and their translation into industrial practice are explored.

Microbial Glucosamine Production: Current Strategies, Process Bottlenecks, and Future Perspectives.

Glucosamine and its derivatives have been extensively used in the nutraceutical, cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries. Commercial glucosamine production traditionally relies on the acid or enzymatic hydrolysis of crustacean shells, particularly those of shrimp and crabs. However, these processes are often associated with high production costs, environmental concerns, extensive chemical usage, and the generation of hazardous waste. In recent years, microbial production of glucosamine has emerged as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative, offering advantages such as milder processing conditions, reduced chemical inputs, and improved process scalability. Microbial approaches include direct glucosamine biosynthesis by native microorganisms, bioconversion of chitin-rich substrates by chitinolytic microbes, and metabolic engineering of recombinant strains for enhanced production. This review explores microbial approaches for glucosamine production, including direct biosynthesis, chitin bioconversion, and recombinant microbial systems. Key challenges related to substrate utilization, process scalability, strain stability, and product recovery are critically evaluated, along with emerging solutions involving metabolic engineering and process optimization. Additionally, strategies to overcome such challenges such as CRISPR-based gene editing, optimization of culture and fermentation conditions etc. have been discussed. This review emphasizes the fact that while microbial production of glucosamine offers clear environmental and economic advantages, their large-scale feasibility depends on addressing these challenges through integrated approaches.

Metabolic Engineering of Microbial Strains for 1,2,4-Butanetriol Production: Progress and Future Perspectives.