Metabolic engineering is a rapidly evolving field that is being applied for the optimization of many different industrial processes. In this issue of Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, developments in different areas of metabolic engineering are reviewed. The contributions discuss the application of metabolic engineering in the improvement of yield and productivity – illustrated by amino acid production and the production of novel compounds – in the production of polyketides and extension of the substrate range – and in the engineering of S. cerevisiae for xylose metabolism, and the improvement of a complex biotransformation process.

This unique reference/text presents the basic theory and practical applications of metabolic engineering (ME). It offers systematic analysis of complex metabolic pathways and ways of employing recombinant DNA techniques to alter cell behavior, metabolic patterns, and product formation. Treating ME as a distinct subfield of genetic engineering, the book demonstrates new means of enabling cells to produce valuable proteins, polypeptides, and primary and secondary metabolites. Written by more than 35 leading international experts in the field, this book discusses metabolic engineering in plant and mammalian cells, bacteria, and yeasts and assesses metabolic engineering applications in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and environmental systems. It illuminates the potential of the “cell factory” model for production of chemicals and therapeutics and examines methods for developing new antiviral and antibacterial molecules and effective gene and somatic-cell therapies. Metabolic Engineering also addresses the use of metabolic flux analysis, metabolic control analysis, and online metabolic flux analysis.