Bioengineering of Probiotic Yeast Saccharomyces boulardii for Advanced Biotherapeutics

Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (Sb), a subspecies of S. cerevisiae (Sc), is widely recognized for its probiotic properties. Recently, Sb has attracted growing interest as a chassis organism for engineered live biotherapeutics and advanced microbiome therapies. Traditional genetic manipulation techniques developed for Sc are now being successfully adapted for Sb, facilitating diverse genome integration strategies to enable the in situ biomanufacturing of functional molecules for disease intervention. Concurrently, research efforts are advancing Sb's potential as a platform for biosensing applications and diagnostic tools through the development of disease-responsive biosensors. Biosafety concerns are also being addressed through the design of biocontainment strains that ensure controlled application. To the best of our knowledge, earlier reviews have largely emphasized its clinical applications, safety profile, and probiotic mechanisms. This review uniquely consolidates recent advances in genetic modification, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology strategies applied to Sb for therapeutic use. Together, these synthetic biology advancements position Sb as a promising and versatile platform for next-generation microbiome-based therapeutics and expanding applications in human health and food biotechnology.