REVIEW article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Aquatic Microbiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1542670
This article is part of the Research TopicMarine Cyanobacteria Under Environmental Stressors: Adaptive Benefits, Progress, and Potential for BiotechnologyView all articles
Adaptation and synthetic biology of the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus for sustainable development: A review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- 2Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Shaoxing, China
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Synechococcus elongatus is a model cyanobacterium with remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental stresses, making it a promising candidate for the photoautotrophic conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals. This review explores the adaptive mechanisms that allow S. elongatus to survive under various abiotic stresses, such as changes in CO2 levels, heavy metals, and light conditions. We also highlight recent advancements in synthetic biology that have enabled the engineering of S. elongatus to produce biofuels and other value-added compounds, including fatty acids, alcohols, and carotenoids. Additionally, we discuss the applications of modern omics techniques to elucidate the genetic basis of stress tolerance and metabolic regulation. Despite the promising potential of S. elongatus for industrial applications, challenges remain in scaling up production, enhancing genetic stability, and optimizing bioreactor systems. Finally, we provide insights into future directions, including the integration of genome engineering, system-level modeling, and co-culture strategies, to improve the efficiency of cyanobacterial cell factories for sustainable biotechnology applications.
Keywords: Synechococcus elongatus, Cyanobacteria, Synthetic Biology, cell factory, Stress Tolerance
Received: 10 Dec 2024; Accepted: 05 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Meng, Xia, Hu, Wang, Qian, Zhang and Fu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Weizhao Meng, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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