- Synthetic biology strategies for sustainable bioplastic production by yeasts
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Huong-Giang Le, Yongjae Lee, Sun-Mi Lee
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J. Microbiol. 2025;63(3):e2501022. Published online March 28, 2025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.71150/jm.2501022
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Abstract
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The increasing environmental concerns regarding conventional plastics have led to a growing demand for sustainable alternatives, such as biodegradable plastics. Yeast cell factories, specifically Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica, have emerged as promising platforms for bioplastic production due to their scalability, robustness, and ease of manipulation. This review highlights synthetic biology approaches aimed at developing yeast cell factories to produce key biodegradable plastics, including polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). We explore recent advancements in engineered yeast strains that utilize various synthetic biology strategies, such as the incorporation of new genetic elements at the gene, pathway, and cellular system levels. The combined efforts of metabolic engineering, protein engineering, and adaptive evolution have enhanced strain efficiency and maximized product yields. Additionally, this review addresses the importance of integrating computational tools and machine learning into the Design-Build-Test-Learn cycle for strain development. This integration aims to facilitate strain development while minimizing effort and maximizing performance. However, challenges remain in improving strain robustness and scaling up industrial production processes. By combining advanced synthetic biology techniques with computational approaches, yeast cell factories hold significant potential for the sustainable and scalable production of bioplastics, thus contributing to a greener bioeconomy.
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Citations
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- Reprogramming of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for sustainable cis, cis-muconic acid production from lignocellulosic biomass
Huong-Giang Le, Ja-Kyong Ko, Sun-Mi Lee Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering.2026;[Epub] CrossRef - Enzymatic and microbial routes to bioplastics: The green chemistry frontier of biopolymers
Giovanni Gallo, Emma Piccoli, Luca Bombardi, Martina Aulitto, Salvatore Fusco FEBS Open Bio.2026; 16(4): 709. CrossRef - From organic wastes to value: yeast-based bioconversion of waste-derived feedstocks into valuable compounds
Ticiana Fernandes, Maria João Sousa, Ricardo Franco-Duarte Food Bioscience.2026; 79: 108871. CrossRef - Advancing microbial engineering through synthetic biology
Ki Jun Jeong Journal of Microbiology.2025; 63(3): e2503100. CrossRef - Biorefinery-based production of biodegradable bioplastics: advances and challenges in circular bioeconomy
Ariane Fátima Murawski de Mello, Clara Matte Borges Machado, Lucia Carolina Ramos Neyra, Diego Yamir Ocán-Torres, Rafael Novaes Barros, Mariana Camargo Medeiros, Carlos Ricardo Soccol, Luciana Porto de Souza Vandenberghe npj Materials Sustainability.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
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