CRISPR-enhanced microalgae biosynthesis: a promising approach for future functional feed ingredients

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms capable of synthesizing diverse high-value bioactive compounds, including premium proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments, and vitamins. These natural products exhibit significant potential in enhancing livestock growth and health, offering biological activity and nutritional benefits that surpass chemically synthesized alternatives. Nevertheless, the commercial production of microalgae-derived natural products remains insufficient to meet escalating market demands. Utilizing synthetic biology strategies, especially the CRISPR system, to increase productivity of microalgae cell factories is crucial for scaling up high-value product biosynthesis. This article reviews the current applications, construction strategies, and critical pathway nodes in microalgae cell factory, with emphasis on CRISPR-based genome editing breakthroughs for optimizing microalgae nutritional profiles, and recent progress in microalgae utilization for livestock production, providing a forward-looking perspective on future developments.