Microbial metabolic engineering techniques in the application of fatty acid production

Fatty acids are essential nutrients for humans, and various types of fatty acids must be obtained from the diet, particularly omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. With the increasing in population, essential fatty acids from freshwater fish and marine organisms can't meet human requirement. The traditional methods for synthesizing fatty acids, such as chemical synthesis and extraction from plants and animals face numerous challenges. Metabolic engineering is an emerging discipline that employs genetic manipulation strategies for reconstructing biosystems. It enables the construction of novel metabolic routes and the cost-effective production of target products, offering significant advantages in terms of cost and sustainability in fatty acid production. In this article, the current research progress for fatty acid production using metabolic engineering technology is summarized. A concise assessment of current challenges and future prospects is also analyzed.