Recent Advances in Protein Science and Engineering: Innovations for Biotechnological Applications in Biorefinery, Agri-Food, Cosmetics, and Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

Protein science is essential for a plethora of applications and is undergoing rapid progress in protein engineering, peptide-based technologies and alternative protein-based foods. 

In biorefinery, engineered enzymes with enhanced stability, catalytic efficiency, and substrate versatility enable more effective biomass conversion into bioactives, biofuels, bioplastics, and platform chemicals, strengthening the role of green chemistry in industrial production.

Within the agri‑food sector, protein and peptide engineering is used to develop improved crop varieties, whereas protein hydrolates acting as biostimulants are used as alternative methods to enhance crop resilience, nutrient bioavailability and food quality. The development of functional future foods, based on alternative protein sources, is heavily supported by advances in synthetic functional proteins. Various proteins such as mannoproteins and bioactive peptides are proposed as natural additives in functional foods.

In medicine, protein engineering, AI‑assisted modeling, and sequence optimization drives the development of novel therapeutics, diagnostic enzymes, CRISPR‑associated proteins, and biocatalysts for drug synthesis. Additionally, various peptide extracts, synthesis, and formulations are shown to be effective for use in medical devices and cosmetics.

Given these aspects, the proposed Topic invites researchers to disseminate their latest discoveries in protein science and engineering or review the most recent advances in various fields related to proteins.

Research areas include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Characterization of novel proteins;
• Computationally designed proteins and peptides;
• Protein engineering for basic research of cell mechanisms;
• Protein structures, interactions, and structure–activity relationships;
• Engineered enzymes for improved biocatalysis;
• Applications of non-catalytic proteins and peptides;
• Protein and peptide cloning, synthesis, extraction, purification, functionalization, and formulations;
• Bioactive peptides;
• AI-driven optimization of protein-based applications;
• Advances in alternative proteins and protein-based food products;
• Techno-economical analysis and safety issues of protein-based biotechnologies.

Dr. Diana Constantinescu-Aruxandei
Dr. Florin Oancea
Dr. Oana Crăciunescu
Topic Editors