Microbial Metabolic Reprogramming for Sustainable Food Processing: From Process Design to Functional Ingredients

The transition to sustainable food systems demands innovations that go beyond simply utilizing raw materials or byproducts and integrating a deep understanding of the microbial metabolic processes that govern the transformation of substrates into high-value compounds. In this context, microbial metabolic reprogramming, induced by process conditions, co-cultures, controlled stress, or unconventional fermentations, has emerged as a key strategy for developing functional ingredients, biopreservatives, bioactive metabolites, and foods with enhanced properties. Although fermentation has been historically used in the food industry, much of the current research continues to approach it empirically without a robust integration of microbial biochemistry, bioprocess engineering, and rational process design. Recent advances in metabolomics, transcriptomics, kinetic modeling, and experimental design have enabled us to understand how variables, such as the microbial physiological state, nutrient availability, substrate structure, and fermentation type (submerged, solid-state, or mixed), modulate specific metabolic pathways relevant to food sustainability. This Research Topic seeks to gather contributions that explore how the targeted manipulation of bioprocess conditions can redirect microbial metabolism toward the efficient production of functional compounds, simultaneously improving the process yield, food quality, and environmental impact. This approach aims to foster work that connects the molecular scalewith the process scale, providing a solid scientific foundation for the design of more sustainable, resilient, and scalable food technologies. This collection will be of interest to researchers working in food fermentation, microbial biotechnology, food biochemistry, and functional ingredient development, promoting an integrated vision that addresses current challenges in food security and sustainability. Despite the growing interest in sustainable fermentation, a significant gap exists in the integrated understanding of microbial metabolic regulation and bioprocess design applied to food systems. Many studies have reported improvements in yield or functionality without clarifying the underlying biochemical mechanisms or their direct relationship with process variables, thus limiting reproducibility, scalability, and industrial implementation. The main objective of this collection is to bridge the gap between microbial biochemistry and food bioprocesses by promoting research that explains how culture, fermentation, and formulation conditions influence the metabolic reprogramming of microorganisms of interest in food. This highlight approaches that integrate advanced analytical tools, modeling, and process optimization, contributing to the development of more efficient, sustainable, and scientifically sound food technologies. This Research Topic accepts original articles, reviews, mini-reviews, and perspective articles that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:• Microbial metabolic regulation induced by fermentation conditions. • Design and optimization of food bioprocesses based on microbial metabolism.• Solid-state fermentation and hybrid strategies from a biochemical approach.• Microbial production of functional compounds, nutraceuticals, or biopreservatives. • Use of microbial co-cultures and consortia in food. • Integration of omics, metabolic modeling, and RSM in fermentation processes.• Impact of metabolic reprogramming on the sustainability of the food system. Topic editors: Leonardo Sepúlveda, Liliana Londono Hernandez, Ricardo Gómez García Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78496/microbial-metabolic-reprogramming-for-sustainable-food-processing-from-process-design-to-functional-ingredients