Synthetic biology stands as a transformative discipline, fundamentally shifting our approach to biological engineering from discovery to design and construction. Central to this paradigm are robust microbial chassis organisms, with Escherichia coli and yeasts (particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae) serving as the foundational workhorses. Their well-characterized genetics, rapid growth, and extensive toolkit availability make them ideal platforms for advancing biosynthetic applications. This special issue, titled "Engineering Escherichia coli and Yeast Chassis for Synthetic Biology-Driven Biosynthesis and Biobreeding," aims to collate high-quality research and reviews that highlight the latest breakthroughs and future directions in optimizing these chassis for sophisticated biological production and breeding.
The scope of this issue will encompass cutting-edge strategies for chassis engineering. We seek contributions that detail the development and application of novel tools for precise genome editing, regulatory circuit design, and metabolic pathway optimization in E. coli and yeast. A key focus will be on their application in the biosynthesis of high-value compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, biofuels, and biomaterials. This includes engineering novel biosynthetic pathways, enhancing precursor supply, improving cofactor balance, and implementing dynamic regulatory controls to maximize titers, rates, and yields.
Furthermore, this issue will explore the emerging concept of "biobreeding," which leverages synthetic biology to direct the evolution of chassis cells for superior performance. We invite research on adaptive laboratory evolution, genome-scale engineering, and machine learning-guided design to create chassis with enhanced traits like stress tolerance, substrate utilization range, and product secretion capabilities. Studies that compare and contrast the strengths of E. coli (a prokaryotic model) with various yeasts (eukaryotic models) for specific applications are also highly encouraged.
By bringing together leading research in this focused area, this special issue will serve as a comprehensive resource for researchers in metabolic engineering, systems biology, and industrial biotechnology. It will not only showcase the current state-of-the-art but also stimulate innovative ideas for overcoming existing bottlenecks, thereby accelerating the development of next-generation microbial cell factories for a sustainable bioeconomy.
We cordially invite you to submit your original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that align with this exciting theme.
Topics of Interest include, but are not limited to:
- Advanced genome editing tools (e.g., CRISPR-based) for E. coli and yeast. - Design and construction of synthetic genetic circuits and regulatory networks. - Metabolic engineering for the production of natural and non-natural products. - Systems and synthetic biology approaches for chassis characterization and optimization. - Computational modeling and machine learning for strain design. - Engineering for improved stress tolerance, substrate scope, and scalability. - Novel applications of engineered chassis in therapeutics, bioremediation, and smart agriculture. - Comparative genomics and physiology of different chassis organisms.
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
