Biotechnology of Rhodococcus for the production of valuable compounds

Bacteria belonging toRhodococcusgenus represent ideal candidates for microbial biotechnology applications because of their metabolic versatility, ability to degrade a wide range of organic compounds, and resistance to various stress conditions, such as metal toxicity, desiccation, and high concentration of organic solvents.Rhodococcusspp. strains have also peculiar biosynthetic activities that contribute to their strong persistence in harsh and contaminated environments and provide them a competitive advantage over other microorganisms. This review is focused on the metabolic features ofRhodococcusgenus and their potential use in biotechnology strategies for the production of compounds with environmental, industrial, and medical relevance such as biosurfactants, bioflocculants, carotenoids, triacylglycerols, polyhydroxyalkanoate, siderophores, antimicrobials, and metal-based nanostructures. These biosynthetic capacities can also be exploited to obtain high value-added products from low-cost substrates (industrial wastes and contaminants), offering the possibility to efficiently recover valuable resources and providing possible waste disposal solutions.Rhodococcusspp. strains have also recently been pointed out as a source of novel bioactive molecules highlighting the need to extend the knowledge on biosynthetic capacities of members of this genus and their potential utilization in the framework of bioeconomy.