Engineering the Translational Machinery for Biotechnology Applications

The ribosome is an essential organelle in charge of the translational processes in all kinds of cells. Currently, the scenario of its function has been significantly expanded from the classic machine for protein synthesis to a regulatory platform for quality control to maintain the protein homeostasis in a living cell. The ribosome is much more than a mechanical device with a static structure: it is inherently dynamic in structure and function, especially in response to the environmental fluctuations. Considerable effort has been made to regulate its structure and physiological function by engineering the components of a ribosome. The findings of the pioneering studies significantly deepened our understanding of a ribosome and exemplified how a ribosome could be engineered for biotechnology purposes in the era of synthetic biology. The engineering of ribosome offered highly accessible methods capable of comprehensively optimizing the performance of strains of industrial importance. In this article, the relevant recent advances were systematically reviewed.