Recent Advances in the Microbial and Enzymatic Production of Aroma Compounds
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 August 2026) | Viewed by 310
Editors
Interests: enzymatic catalysis; photocatalysis; electron transfer; photocatalysts; application of combined catalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: fungal polysaccharide; biosynthesis mechanism; structural characterization; modification; structure-function relationship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global demand for natural flavor and fragrance compounds has grown steadily in recent years, driven by consumer preference for sustainable, environmentally friendly, and health-conscious products. This shift has invigorated research into the biotechnological production of aroma compounds, where microorganisms and enzymes serve as green catalysts for transforming renewable substrates into high-value volatile molecules. Microbial and enzymatic biotransformation offer an attractive alternative that combines selectivity, mild reaction conditions, and the possibility of using renewable feedstocks. Recent developments in metabolic engineering, enzyme discovery, and synthetic biology have expanded the diversity of aroma molecules that can be produced biotechnologically, from terpenes and lactones to aldehydes, esters, and sulfur-containing volatiles.
Thus, this Special Issue, “Recent Advances in the Microbial and Enzymatic Production of Aroma Compounds,” brings together a collection of cutting-edge studies and critical reviews that illustrate the remarkable progress achieved in this vibrant interdisciplinary field. The articles compiled in this Special Issue highlight several major trends shaping the field. Advances in genome mining and omics-based approaches have accelerated the identification of novel biosynthetic pathways responsible for aroma formation in yeasts, fungi, and bacteria. Enzyme engineering and directed evolution are enabling tailored catalysts with improved stability, substrate specificity, and product selectivity. Furthermore, the integration of metabolic modeling with bioprocess optimization is leading to higher yields and more efficient fermentations. Equally important are the efforts for enzyme immobilization, catalysis regulation, and scaling-up, bridging the gap between laboratory success and industrial application. We hope that this collection will not only showcase state-of-the-art technologies but also inspire further exploration into novel microbial systems, enzyme functions, and process integration strategies that will define the next generation of natural aroma production.
Dr. Ling Xu
Prof. Dr. Zhongyang Ding
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- aroma compounds
- microbial transformation
- enzymatic catalysis
- biosynthetic pathways
- process intensification
- enzyme engineering
- enzyme immobilization
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