Advances in Plant and Microbial Metabolic Engineering

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic engineering, a scientific methodology “beyond natural evolution”, has been commercially used for about four decades in relation to plants and microbes. Nonetheless, emphasizing advancements in plant or microbial metabolic engineering is crucial, as innovative genome-scale editing techniques and systems biology methodologies are essential for identifying new emerging phenotypes and understanding plant network activities specifically. Metabolic engineering advanced the development of innovative genomic reconstructions aimed at the rational design of complex biological systems through the static or dynamic control of metabolic flow. Modern developments, research trends and ideas in metabolic engineering appear to constitute a dynamic methodological tool bridging molecular breeding and synthetic biology for ready-to-eat food and green energy derived from plants.

Metabolic engineering research invests in food security needs for an overpopulated planet by addressing how to further enhance plant fitness, boost productivity, increase resistance to pests and herbicides, and adapt to climatic or environmental extremities. Metabolic engineering methodologies have been used to avoid any technical issues associated with the growth of plants themselves, or even plant cell cultures, while considering societal acceptance, economic considerations, environmental impact, and long-term sustainability, which are also of critical importance for their successful implementation. Such approaches have proven effective in enhancing the output for a wide array of secondary metabolites, hence facilitating more sustainable and efficient production processes in microbial systems.

Microbial metabolic engineering, on the other hand, is rapidly gaining traction as a viable alternative to conventional chemical production methods for valuable pharmaceuticals and other bioactive compounds. Diverse approaches have been utilized to augment the microbial synthesis of secondary metabolites to meet commercial demand. Enhancements in yield can be achieved through innovative strategies and creative ways in microbial genetic manipulation, encompassing pathway optimization, systems biology approaches, protein engineering techniques, and advances in synthetic biology. These genetic modifications have proven effective in enhancing output from a wide array of secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways, ultimately paving the way for more sustainable and efficient production processes in microbial systems.

This Special Issue will attract review papers and original research-oriented publications on all aspects of plant and microbial metabolic engineering, as well as biotechnology, agriculture, medicine, and environmental sustainability. Contributions focused on the integration of synthetic biology, OMICS and big data utilization, green biomanufacturing, the production of natural products, biopesticides or biostimulants, the engineering of microbial consortia, the engineering of climate resilience, the engineering of improved crop traits, the production of biopharmaceuticals, biofuel and biochemical production, and bioremediation are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Filippos Ververidis
Prof. Dr. Emmanouil Trantas
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2700 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.

• plant metabolic engineering
• primary and secondary metabolism
• plant synthetic biology
• natural products
• molecular farming
• molecular breeding
• food security