Biological process is among the most intricate and complex mystery on Earth. The art of metabolic engineering is to apply chemical engineering and synthetic biology principles to repurpose cell metabolism and address environmental, energy, food and healthcare challenges. From mRNA vaccines to biofuels and alternative proteins, all involve the applications of chemical and biological engineering. Synthetic biology allows us to manipulate both the metabolic and informational flows within cells using genetic tools, and reprogram biological functions in living cells with spatial and temporal precision. This talk will update our progress to engineer Y. lipolytica cell factory for various applications, including the use of genetically-tunable nanoparticles for photocatalytic CO2 fixation and NADPH regeneration; the AI-assisted engineering and design of protein secretion tags to improve protein secretion; and the construction of efficient nutraceutical cell factory to produce natural products; and the biomanufacturing of edible fats from mixed co-substrates. Overall, our effort will contribute to enabling tiny yeast cell factories and promoting sustainable development and human well-being.
