Recent Progress on Systems and Synthetic Biology of Diatoms for Improving Algal Productivity

Abstract

Microalgae have drawn much attention for their potential applications as a sustainable source for developing bioactive compounds, functional foods, feeds, and biofuels. Diatoms, as one major group of microalgae with high yields and strong adaptability to the environment, have shown advantages in developing photosynthetic cell factories to produce value-added compounds, including heterologous bioactive products. However, the commercialization of diatoms has encountered several obstacles that limit the potential mass production, such as the limitation of algal productivity and low photosynthetic efficiency. In recent years, systems and synthetic biology have dramatically improved the efficiency of diatom cell factories. In this review, we discussed first the genome sequencing and genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) of diatoms. Then, approaches to optimizing photosynthetic efficiency are introduced with a focus on the enhancement of biomass productivity in diatoms. We also reviewed genome engineering technologies, including CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) gene-editing to produce bioactive compounds in diatoms. Finally, we summarized the recent progress on the diatom cell factory for producing heterologous compounds through genome engineering to introduce foreign genes into host diatoms. This review also pinpointed the bottlenecks in algal engineering development and provided critical insights into the future direction of algal production.

Advancing River Health Assessments: Integrating Microscopy and Molecular Techniques through Diatom Indices

“…While recognizing advances in understanding diatom biology and ecology, this article points out remaining gaps in knowledge about diatom responses to environmental stressors and their roles in nutrient cycling. It advocates for expanded research efforts to address these gaps, aiming to enhance our understanding of aquatic ecosystems and refine assessment methodologies [1,76,77].…”

Engineering microalgae as the next-generation food

“…However, they are very time-consuming and expensive. Recently microalgae have gained the interest of researchers because of their rapid growth, low cost, ease of culture, and broad industrial applications ranging from biodiesel feedstock to food additives [2][3][4].…”

“…In light of this, genetic engineering of microalgae can support overcoming these limitations which will improve the desired product production and eventually improve the economic feasibility of the production process [11,12]. Several reviews focus on genome editing tools and engineering [13,14], metabolic and process engineering [15,16], synthetic and systems biology [4,17,18], and different omics approaches [19] for the production of vitamins, proteins, lipids, biofuels, and other metabolites in the microalgae. Present review is mainly focused on different engineering tools applied to microalgae and regulatory aspects for the production of next-generation food, specifically.…”