Synthetic biology: a new frontier in food production

Microbially synthesized food can address challenges in global food security and deliver high-quality food products in an environmentally friendly manner. Synthetic biology is emerging as a powerful approach for engineering microbes to produce macronutrient and micronutrient compounds in food. Recent achievements in synthetic biology have enabled microbes to produce healthier or specifically designed food ingredients. Microbial fermentation from nonfood feedstocks offers the opportunity to alleviate economic, ecologic, and societal problems by recycling resources and greenhouse gases. Concerns regarding food security arise from population growth, global warming, and reduction in arable land. With advances in synthetic biology, food production by microbes is considered to be a promising alternative that would allow rapid food production in an environmentally friendly manner. Moreover, synthetic biology can be adopted to the production of healthier or specifically designed food ingredients (e.g., high-value proteins, lipids, and vitamins) and broaden the utilization of feedstocks (e.g., methanol and CO2), thereby offering potential solutions to high-quality food and the greenhouse effect. We first present how synthetic biology can facilitate the microbial production of various food components, and then discuss feedstock availability enabled by synthetic biology. Finally, we illustrate trends and key challenges in synthetic biology-driven food production. Concerns regarding food security arise from population growth, global warming, and reduction in arable land. With advances in synthetic biology, food production by microbes is considered to be a promising alternative that would allow rapid food production in an environmentally friendly manner. Moreover, synthetic biology can be adopted to the production of healthier or specifically designed food ingredients (e.g., high-value proteins, lipids, and vitamins) and broaden the utilization of feedstocks (e.g., methanol and CO2), thereby offering potential solutions to high-quality food and the greenhouse effect. We first present how synthetic biology can facilitate the microbial production of various food components, and then discuss feedstock availability enabled by synthetic biology. Finally, we illustrate trends and key challenges in synthetic biology-driven food production. the main component of plant cell walls. It consists of chains of glucose monomers and is an excellent source of dietary fiber. a genetic manipulation technique for rapid gene repression, whose full name is 'clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference'. fatty acids that are essential to human health, but cannot be synthesized by human body. They must therefore be obtained from the diet. a designation of the US FDA that describes chemicals or substances for safe use in food. gaseous compounds that trap heat in the atmosphere, for example, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. They contribute to the greenhouse effect and aggravate climate change. an iron-binding protein that is widely consumed in the human diet via meat, poultry, and seafood. the first plant hemoglobin discovered. nutrients, that are required in large amounts to maintain body functions, usually refer to carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. the total biological material derived from microorganisms in a given area or volume. nutrients that are required in very small amounts to maintain body functions; usually refer to vitamins, dietary fibers, and minerals. a class of yeast that can accumulate >20% intracellular lipids, which make them preferred hosts for the production of lipid compounds. carbohydrates composed of a small number of monosaccharide units (simple sugars). carbohydrates composed of multiple monosaccharide units (simple sugars). Polysaccharides are the most abundant carbohydrates in food. fatty acids that contain more than one unsaturated bond in their backbone. a class of PUFAs that have a carbon–carbon double bond located three carbons from the terminal methyl group. There are three main types: α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. a class of PUFAs in which a carbon–carbon double bond is located six carbons from the terminal methyl group. Important representatives of ω6 fatty acids include γ-linoleic acid and arachidonic acid. monosaccharides and their derivatives that are found in limited quantities in nature. Rare sugars include allulose, allose, sorbose, and tagatose. a new interdisciplinary area that allows the design and construction of biosystems with desired function. a chronic disease characterized by impaired regulation and use of sugar. a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for international public health. The agency plays a key role in ensuring that people are provided with healthy food.