CRISPR-aided bioengineering for value-added product development

Since its discovery, CRISPR technology has revolutionized biology by the possibility of editing the genome of organisms from any kingdom of life. The technology allows for editing multiple targets in one shot, edit/replacing single nucleotides, selectively activating or repressing gene function, modifying epigenetic landscape, etc., considered impossible or difficult previously. Therefore, a myriad of fields of biology from agriculture to industrial biotechnology is embracing this tool, leading to rapid development and discovery in different fields of biotechnology and bioengineering and the establishment of a vast market that is supposed to surpass 15.84 billion by 2028 (Bloomberg).

This wave of CRISPR technology has reached bioengineering and synthetic biology with the promise of rapid cellular engineering, development of highly productive organisms, screening of genes for certain pathways or traits, selective modulation of metabolism, easy and fast removal of competitive pathways, etc. Development and optimization of the workhorse of industrial biotechnology including bacteria, yeasts, algae, or filamentous fungi are getting immensely benefited by this technology while clinical applications such as treating diseases or finding a novel drug target, etc., gained momentum using a range of emerging CRISPR tools. Plant cell-based novel engineering of food products, vaccines, novel chemicals, cellular agriculture, and cellular food production gained traction globally with the promising application of CRISPR-based synthetic pathway installation and other required genetic engineering.

Applications of CRISPR enable myriad novel products facilitating new bio-routes to displace petroleum with several already a reality or about to be developed in the very near future including commodity chemicals such as acetone, styrene, MEG, acrylic acid, and multiple products for the cosmetic industry, flavors, fragments, alternative materials, biodegradable plastics, proteins, feeds, renewable chemicals and novel agricultural products such as drought-resistance corn, non-browning mushroom, powdery mildew-resistant barley, cell-based coffee, etc.

In this special edition, we will cover applications of CRISPR and CRISPR-based technologies for industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, sustainable fuel, plant cell culture-based food product, and novel chemical development. Advanced CRISPR technology development, modifications, and discovery of new technologies based on CRISPR for the above-mentioned purposes will also be considered under the scope of this special edition.

Michael Köpke is Vice President of Synthetic Biology at LanzaTech, United States.
Anindya Bandyopadhyay is Vice President at Reliance Industries Limited, India
Tae Seok Moon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, United States.

Keywords: CRISPR, Synthetic Biology, Biotechnology, Sustainable fuels, Biodegradable plastics

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