Biosensors in microalgae: A roadmap for new opportunities in synthetic biology and biotechnology

Biosensors are powerful tools to investigate, phenotype, improve and prototype microbial strains, both in fundamental research and in industrial contexts. Genetic and biotechnological developments now allow the implementation of synthetic biology approaches to novel different classes of microbial hosts, for example photosynthetic microalgae, which offer unique opportunities. To date, biosensors have not yet been implemented in phototrophic eukaryotic microorganisms, leaving great potential for novel biological and technological advancements untapped. Here, starting from selected biosensor technologies that have successfully been implemented in heterotrophic organisms, we project and define a roadmap on how these could be applied to microalgae research. We highlight novel opportunities for the development of new biosensors, identify critical challenges, and finally provide a perspective on the impact of their eventual implementation to tackle research questions and bioengineering strategies. From studying metabolism at the single-cell level to genome-wide screen approaches, and assisted laboratory evolution experiments, biosensors will greatly impact the pace of progress in understanding and engineering microalgal metabolism. We envision how this could further advance the possibilities for unraveling their ecological role, evolutionary history and accelerate their domestication, to further drive them as resource-efficient production hosts.