Non-model microorganisms have been increasingly explored as microbial cell factories for production of chemicals, fuels, and materials owing to their unique physiology and metabolic capabilities. However, these microorganisms often lack facile genetic tools for strain development, which hinders their adoption as production hosts. In this review, we describe recent advances in domestication of non-model microorganisms, including bacteria, actinobacteria, cyanobacteria, yeast, and fungi, with a focus on the development of genetic tools. In addition, we highlight some successful applications of non-model microorganisms as microbial cell factories.
Keywords: CRISPR; genetic elements; metabolic engineering; non-model microorganism; synthetic biology.
© 2020 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.