Building a lignin biofoundry: a review

Lignin, a complex biopolymer, holds significant promise for sustainable bioconversion into high-value products and chemicals; however, its recalcitrance, variable composition, and low degradation rates limit industrial application. Naturally sourced enzymes remain insufficient, and mature commercial solutions are scarce. Synthetic biology opens new avenues for lignin biotransformation, particularly through biofoundries that automate the 'design-build-test-learn' cycle. These platforms can integrate robotics, data-driven biology, and artificial intelligence to expedite ligninolytic enzyme development. By enabling high-throughput screening, directed evolution, and biosensor-guided selection, lignin-focused biofoundries present a transformative framework for overcoming current limitations. This review explores recent biotechnological advances and highlights the potential of biofoundries to unlock lignin's untapped economic and environmental potential.