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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
De novo biosynthetic pathways: rational design of microbial chemical factories
Kristala L Jones Prather1, Collin H Martin
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 66-458, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. kljp@mit.edu
Abstract:
Increasing interest in the production of organic compounds from non-petroleum-derived feedstocks, especially biomass, is a significant driver for the construction of new recombinant microorganisms for this purpose. As a discipline, Metabolic Engineering has provided a framework for the development of such systems. Efforts have traditionally been focused, first, on the optimization of natural producers, later progressing towards re-construction of natural pathways in heterologous hosts. To maximize the potential of microbes for biosynthetic purposes, new tools and methodologies within Metabolic Engineering are needed for the proposition and construction of de novo designed pathways. This review will focus on recent advances towards the design and assembly of biosynthetic pathways, and provide a Synthetic Biology perspective for the construction of microbial chemical factories.
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