Biofoundry in Microbial Protein Production

Biofoundries significantly enhance the efficiency of microbial strain development for protein production by incorporating advanced genetic engineering, high-throughput screening, and automation. The development of alternative proteins, such as single-cell proteins, presents an eco-friendly solution to the pressures on traditional food production systems. In this regard, the use of bioreactors, including stirred-tank and photo-bioreactors, is critical for optimizing microbial cultivation and protein expression in microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae. Downstream processing ensures protein purity, involving steps like lysis, filtration, and quality control. Advances in these technologies are key for improving efficiency and scalability in protein production. On the other hand, the synthetic bioengineering approach enhances biofoundry processes for efficient and sustainable chemical production by combining synthetic biology, bioengineering, and industrial microbiology. Herein, the metabolic networks are redesigned to favor the production of target proteins using modular synthetic biology techniques in strains such as E. coli , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , and Bacillus subtilis that are genetically engineered to optimize protein expression and metabolic pathways through tools like CRISPR/Cas9 and recombinase-assisted genome engineering. The chapter encompasses the production processes and future advancements in genetic engineering as well as the challenges that remain in optimizing conditions for large-scale production and scaling up fermentation processes.