Systems and synthetic biotechnology for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially the omega-3 and -6 types, play an important role in human health and have consequently received extensive attention as nutritional ingredients. Oleaginous microorganisms, as an alternative source of PUFAs, can accumulate cellular PUFA-rich lipids. However, these microbial cells have evolved robust metabolic networks with hard-wired, tightly regulated lines of communication between molecular pathways, which poses a challenge to our metabolic pathway reconstruction efforts for increased PUFA production. Nowadays, the development of systems and synthetic biotechnology provides powerful new tools for us to better understand and remodel microbial metabolic networks. In this chapter, we will focus on these two technologies to summarize the strategies for microbial production of PUFAs and provide guidance for future study.