Department of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, is dedicated to advancing the national initiative “One Replacement, One Upgrade” — replacing petroleum resources with biomass and upgrading traditional fermentation industries. Positioned at the strategic forefront of biomanufacturing, the laboratory focuses on key scientific challenges and core technological bottlenecks in the efficient, green, and intelligent utilization of industrial microorganisms.

The laboratory encompasses three main research directions:
- Molecular Genetics and Efficient Genome Editing
- Molecular Enzymology and AI-driven Biocatalysis
- Molecular Physiology and Synthetic Biotechnology

To address three major challenges commonly faced by industrial microorganisms — difficulty in genetic manipulation, low substrate conversion efficiency, and poor environmental adaptability — the laboratory conducts frontier research on microbial physiological and metabolic regulation, biosynthetic network reconstruction, and environmental adaptation optimization. Centered on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, the team develops advanced systems for metabolic regulation and directed evolution, establishes multi-omics-driven frameworks for metabolic network modeling and intelligent optimization, and explores the mechanisms of metabolic homeostasis and regulation under complex environmental conditions.

By integrating molecular genetics, systems biology, and engineering biology, the laboratory is committed to developing a new generation of high-performance industrial strains and efficient whole-cell catalysts, enabling the low-cost, high-efficiency, and sustainable biomanufacturing of bulk chemicals, fine chemicals, and key fermentation products.

Guided by the mission of “supporting national strategies, leading scientific frontiers, and driving industrial upgrading,” the laboratory strives to become a national hub for innovation and talent cultivation in industrial microbial physiology and metabolic engineering, providing strong scientific and technological support for biomanufacturing industrialization and the high-quality development of the bioeconomy.