Microbial Protein and Lipid: Biotechnological Innovations for Sustainable Food and Energy

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing demand for sustainable food and energy sources has driven the development of microbial biotechnologies capable of converting renewable and waste-derived substrates into high-value products. Among these, microbial protein and microbial lipids have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional resources. Recent advances in strain engineering, process optimization, and formulation have significantly improved yields and product quality. Equally critical are technological solutions in bioreactor design, including improved aeration, mixing, and scale-up strategies, which enhance productivity and process stability. Innovations in downstream processing, ranging from cell disruption and protein purification to sustainable lipid extraction and fractionation, further determine economic feasibility and environmental impact.

This Special Issue will highlight recent progress in microbial platforms, feedstock utilization, process innovations, and techno-economic perspectives that advance SCP and SCO toward industrial application in sustainable nutrition and energy. We request studies covering applied and technological aspects, including but not limited to the following:

• Microbial diversity and platforms: bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi, and microalgae for SCP and SCO production;
• Feedstock valorization: utilization of agricultural residues, industrial by-products, municipal wastes, and lignocellulosic substrates;
• Bioreactor innovations: novel reactor configurations, aeration/mixing strategies, scale-up solutions, continuous vs. fed-batch systems, and advanced process control;
• Metabolic and genetic engineering: strategies to enhance yield, amino acid balance, and lipid accumulation;
• Downstream processing: cell disruption, protein purification, nucleic acid reduction, lipid extraction and fractionation, and solvent-free and sustainable separation methods;
• Nutritional evaluation: amino acid composition, protein digestibility, fatty acid profile, and functional properties for food and feed applications;
• Industrial applications: microbial oils for biodiesel and oleochemical sectors, microbial proteins for human food, aquaculture, and animal feed;
• Integrated biorefineries: coupling SCP and SCO production with valorization of side-streams and co-products;
• Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) from sustainability, scalability, and circular bioeconomy perspectives.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Iwona Gientka
Guest Editor

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