Aug 2026· Journal of Dairy Science· 0 citations· 69 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Overall, this work provides researchers and industry stakeholders with a technological framework to accelerate the integration of synthetic biology into next-generation dairy food development.
Abstract
Synthetic biology has played a foundational role in the dairy industry for decades, with continued advancements improving the efficiency, precision, and scalability of producing recombinant dairy foods and additives. As global demand shifts, the industry faces growing pressure to deliver products that are nutritionally optimized, sustainable, cost-effective, and broadly accessible. At the same time, numerous value-added dairy components, such as bioactive proteins and functional metabolites, remain underleveraged despite their biological and commercial potential. Synthetic biology offers a platform to industrialize these products. This review examines approaches in protein engineering, genetic modification, and heterologous expression of high-value dairy products in non-native organisms. Overall, this work provides researchers and industry stakeholders with a technological framework to accelerate the integration of synthetic biology into next-generation dairy food development.
This review analyzes precision fermentation as a strategic tool for the future of the global food system, examining the interplay among technological advances, regulatory frameworks, factors influencing consumer acceptance, and associated ethical implications. Recently, synthetic biology has emerged as a prominent field, driven by the development of tools and technologies with the potential to transform multiple sectors of industrial production. In this context, precision fermentation stands out as a promising approach for the future of food production, enabling the generation of inputs that meet sustainability, ethical, and high-quality standards. Despite its significant advantages, this technology still faces limitations in its large-scale application. These include challenges related to production scalability, variations in compound structure and functionality due to difficulties in post-modification translational processes, as well as differences in consumer acceptance and in the establishment of regulatory frameworks across diverse global and cultural contexts. This review highlights precision fermentation as a promising avenue for producing inputs for the global food industry. Discusses its technical, economic, and regulatory limitations while assessing issues related to consumer acceptance. In addition, it examines ongoing efforts and emphasizes the need to overcome these challenges to establish this technology as a promising alternative for more sustainable food production.
Bárbara Flaibam, Esteban Ivan da Silva Vejar, Antenor Linhares et al.· Current Food Science and Tec...· 0 citations
This work explores the development of animal-free proteins produced in laboratory settings using innovative technologies such as precision fermentation, submerged fermentation, plant cell culture, and molecular engineering, which enable the production of high-quality proteins without relying on animal farming or large-scale traditional agriculture.
Dairy proteins are among the most nutritionally and functionally valuable proteins used in food, clinical nutrition, and infant nutrition, yet their supply remains structurally linked to livestock production and dairy processing streams. Precision fermentation offers, based on proven technology, a route to produce individual milk proteins independently of animal agriculture while preserving their molecular identity and application potential. Recent advances in host engineering, secretion capacity, and bioprocess optimization have moved recombinant milk proteins from proof-of-concept toward industrial relevance. However, not all milk proteins are equally tractable fermentation targets. In this opinion article, we examine β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, and caseins through the lens of nutritional value, functionality, manufacturing complexity, and commercial readiness. We argue that future success will depend less on sequence expression alone than on scalable biomanufacturing technology and know-how, post-translational fidelity, and application-driven target prioritization.
Mathilde Pinon, Per Falholt, T. Schmidt et al.· Trends in Biotechnology· 0 citations
The escalating global population and the environmentally inefficient nature of livestock-based protein production are intensifying demand for sustainable and scalable protein alternatives. Microbial biosynthesis, employing engineered cell factories, represents a pivotal strategy for producing functional proteins with a reduced ecological footprint. This review comprehensively examines the biosynthesis of alternative proteins (APs) via microbial precision fermentation, encompassing diverse categories including coloring proteins, flavoring and taste proteins, structuring and texturizing proteins, nutritional and functional proteins, food processing and enabling proteins, and special functional proteins. Enabling technologies, from fermentation feedstock and microbial host selection to genome/metabolic engineering, bioprocess optimization via response surface methodology/artificial neural networks, and downstream purification, are critically analyzed. Emerging strategies demonstrate substantial progress in enhancing microbial titers, achieving functional mimicry, and advancing regulatory readiness. However, persistent challenges include precise flavor replication, nutritional completeness, and food safety concerns such as allergenicity and process contaminants. Potential solutions, including advanced metabolic engineering, refined protein extraction, biocontainment strategies, and transparent regulatory frameworks, are discussed. By integrating technological innovation with targeted application mapping and regulatory foresight, this review outlines a roadmap toward scalable, safe, and functionally robust microbial AP platforms, thereby contributing to the transition toward a sustainable food system.
Zewei Lu, Zhuoer Chen, Dianqi Yang et al.· Comprehensive Reviews in Foo...· 0 citations
With global population growth, escalating ecological pressures, and evolving consumer demands for health-conscious products, traditional animal and plant protein supply models face numerous challenges-including resource scarcity, high carbon emissions, and limited nutritional diversity. The development and application of novel protein sources have become a research focus in biomanufacturing, food science, and biopharmaceuticals. These novel protein sources encompass microbial proteins, plant-based proteins, algal proteins, cell-cultured proteins, and AI-designed artificial proteins, offering advantages such as environmental sustainability, low carbon footprint, and customizable functionality that overcome the limitations of conventional protein production. This article systematically reviews the resource characteristics, development processes, and core technological frameworks of various novel protein sources. It highlights the application of cutting-edge technologies-including AI-based de novo design, precision fermentation, bioextraction, and cell culture-in protein development, analyzes current applications in food, feed, and biopharmaceutical sectors, identifies technical barriers, safety regulations, and industrialization costs, and proposes future research directions. The study aims to provide theoretical insights and technical support for the industrial-scale, high-quality development of novel protein sources.
Meng-Ling Ni, Yi Zhou· Global Agronomy Research Jou...· 0 citations
Recent advances and future potential in engineering methylotrophic yeasts for food protein production, with particular focus on Komagataella phaffii are reviewed, addressing the dual goals of improving both yield and quality.
Bing-Yin Peng, Masahiro Tominaga, Jun Ishii et al.· Metabolic Engineering· 1 citation
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