Cited by 28Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionAlgal biology and biofuel productionPhotosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms

Synthetic biology in marine cyanobacteria: Advances and challenges

Open access
Bourgade, Barbara, Stensjö, Karin·2022·Frontiers in Microbiology

Abstract

The current economic and environmental context requests an accelerating development of sustainable alternatives for the production of various target compounds. Biological processes offer viable solutions and have gained renewed interest in the recent years. For example, photosynthetic chassis organisms are particularly promising for bioprocesses, as they do not require biomass-derived carbon sources and contribute to atmospheric CO 2 fixation, therefore supporting climate change mitigation. Marine cyanobacteria are of particular interest for biotechnology applications, thanks to their rich diversity, their robustness to environmental changes, and their metabolic capabilities with potential for therapeutics and chemicals production without requiring freshwater. The additional cyanobacterial properties, such as efficient photosynthesis, are also highly beneficial for biotechnological processes. Due to their capabilities, research efforts have developed several genetic tools for direct metabolic engineering applications. While progress toward a robust genetic toolkit is continuously achieved, further work is still needed to routinely modify these species and unlock their full potential for industrial applications. In contrast to the understudied marine cyanobacteria, genetic engineering and synthetic biology in freshwater cyanobacteria are currently more advanced with a variety of tools already optimized. This mini-review will explore the opportunities provided by marine cyanobacteria for a greener future. A short discussion will cover the advances and challenges regarding genetic engineering and synthetic biology in marine cyanobacteria, followed by a parallel with freshwater cyanobacteria and their current genetic availability to guide the prospect for marine species.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fmicb.2022.994365

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  • The physiological resilience of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 positions it as a candidate for the development of photosynthetic biotechnological systems.

    “The physiological resilience of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, including its ability to withstand diverse environmental conditions and high light intensities, positions it as a candidate for the development of photosynthetic biotechnological systems [68].”

    From Cyanobacteria as a Photosynthetic Chassis for Metabolic Pathway Engineering with Heterologous Gene Expression (2026) · cites this paper as [68]

    Table 1, in the section on biotechnological opportunities (page unavailable), describes Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 as flexible, fast-growing, and used in metabolic engineering, supporting its potential as a biotechnology candidate. The table attributes tolerance of high light intensities to a different strain, PCC 11901; the cited paper does not establish that specific resilience for PCC 7002. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Authors
Bourgade, B., & Stensjö, K.
Affiliations
Uppsala University (SE)
Corresponding author
Stensjö, Karin
Venue
Frontiers in Microbiology
Published
2022-09-16
Volume
13
Pages
994365-994365
ISSN
1664-302X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4296274511
Cited by
28
References
82
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4
FWCI
0.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Microbiology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas
  • Carl Tryggers Stiftelse för Vetenskaplig Forskning
  • NordForsk
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
Keywords
marine cyanobacteria, synthetic biology, genetic engineering, metabolic engineering, genetic instruments, CO2 fixation, sustainable chemical production, industrial biotechnology

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