Advances in engineering substrate scope of Pseudomonas cell factories

Most current industrial bioprocesses use well-established model microorganisms and simple sugar substrates from edible starch or molasses. To broaden and sustain bioprocesses, we need to explore new robust microbial hosts with desirable traits and ideally exploit diverse waste-derived substrates. Pseudomonas species are prime candidates for new generation of industrial biotechnology due to their resilient physiology and adaptable metabolism. However, natural isolates are not always suitable for demanding biotechnological applications. Despite pseudomonads’ typically broad substrate range, their catabolism can be further enhanced through metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and/or laboratory evolution to efficiently degrade, utilize, and valorize alternative waste substrates derived from lignocellulosic residues, synthetic plastics, C1 compounds, or their mixtures.