Programmable Bioengineering for Sustainable Biomanufacturing and the Circular Bioeconomy

This Research Topic is developed in collaboration with SynBioBeta, the leading global community for synthetic biology and the bioeconomy, whose conference organisers are directly supporting this collection.The global transition away from fossil-based production has positioned biomanufacturing as a cornerstone of the emerging circular bioeconomy. Programmable living systems — spanning engineered microorganisms, rewired metabolic networks, and cell-free biological platforms — now offer credible routes to producing chemicals, materials, food ingredients, and consumer products from renewable or waste-derived carbon. Synthetic biology, bioengineering, and molecular biosciences have converged with AI and process engineering to accelerate this shift, yet the path from a rationally designed biological system to a commercially viable, life-cycle-sustainable bioprocess remains poorly standardized and technically demanding.Recent advances underscore both the opportunity and the outstanding challenges. Gas fermentation platforms have demonstrated carbon-negative production of commodity chemicals by engineering autotrophic acetogens to capture CO and CO₂ at industrial scale. Microbial synthesis of biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates from waste carbon streams — guided by process-analytical technologies and real-time monitoring — has progressed from proof-of-concept to pilot deployment. Cell-free transcription–translation systems and AI-assisted design pipelines have compressed the design–build–test–learn cycle, enabling rapid pathway prototyping and biosensor development outside living cells. Despite this momentum, strain robustness under industrial conditions, integration of digital twins and real-time control, and rigorous techno-economic and life-cycle evaluation remain critical gaps between discovery and deployment.This Research Topic explores how sustainability, synthetic biology, bioengineering, biotechnology, molecular biosciences, and AI are transforming biomanufacturing into a scalable platform for a more sustainable economy. We invite papers on strain engineering, metabolic engineering, continuous and precision fermentation, modular bioprocess design, real-time monitoring and control, downstream processing, digital twins for bioprocesses, and low-carbon production of chemicals, materials, food ingredients, and consumer products. We are especially interested in studies that unite biological design with manufacturability, techno-economic performance, and life-cycle sustainability. By bringing together biological discovery, process engineering, and industrial translation, this topic aims to showcase how programmable living systems can support resilient supply chains, reduce fossil dependence, and accelerate the transition toward circular, bio-based production systems. Contributions advancing SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) are particularly encouraged.We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Methods, and Perspectives on, but not limited to:o Strain and metabolic engineering for production of chemicals, biopolymers, fuels, and materials from C1 feedstocks and waste streamso Cell-free systems for pathway prototyping, enzyme screening, and distributed biomanufacturingo AI-guided biological design, genome-scale modeling, and quantitative prediction of system behavioro Continuous fermentation, real-time process monitoring, soft sensors, and digital twin-based bioprocess controlo Modular downstream processing and scalable manufacturing frameworks for bio-based productso Microbial consortia and division-of-labor strategies for complex waste stream valorizationo Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of synthetic biology-enabled bioprocesses Topic editors: Manfred Zinn, Michael Köpke Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82631/programmable-bioengineering-for-sustainable-biomanufacturing-and-the-circular-bioeconomy