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Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport

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Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution

Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution

Published on: August 16, 2016

Permeability issues in whole-cell bioprocesses and cellular membrane engineering.

Rachel Ruizhen Chen¹

¹School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0100, USA. rchen@chbe.gatech.edu

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

|January 16, 2007

Summary

Biomolecular engineers are overcoming cellular membrane permeability challenges to improve microbial cell factories. Molecular engineering offers innovative solutions for enhanced substrate uptake and product release in bioprocesses.

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Last Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution

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Published on: August 16, 2016

Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers

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Published on: October 17, 2013

Engineering Cell-permeable Protein

Engineering Cell-permeable Protein

Published on: December 28, 2009

Area of Science:

Biotechnology
Molecular Biology
Cellular Engineering

Background:

Cellular membranes regulate nutrient import and waste export, but also hinder substrate entry and product release in microbial cell factories.
This semipermeable nature limits the efficiency of bioprocesses like biocatalysis, fermentation, and bioremediation, often resulting in low productivities and product inhibition.
Traditional cell permeabilization methods are problematic for large-scale applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent molecular engineering strategies for addressing cellular membrane permeability issues in microbial cell factories.
To highlight advancements in overcoming limitations in substrate uptake and product export for improved bioprocess efficiency.

Main Methods:

Review of molecular engineering approaches and tools.
Analysis of strategies to modify cellular membrane properties.
Discussion of case studies demonstrating enhanced bioprocess performance.

Main Results:

Molecular engineering provides effective solutions to the inherent permeability limitations of cellular membranes.
Engineered microbes show improved substrate transport and product secretion, boosting overall productivity.
These advancements enable more efficient and scalable whole-cell biocatalysis and fermentation.

Conclusions:

Molecular engineering is a powerful alternative to traditional methods for enhancing cell factory performance.
Overcoming membrane-related bottlenecks through molecular engineering significantly improves bioprocess efficiency and product recovery.
Future research will likely focus on further refining these molecular tools for diverse biotechnological applications.