CRISPR-Cas Technology for Constructing Engineered Strains to Produce High Value-Added Industrial Products

School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Shandong, 250000, China

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

With its ability to make precise, effective, and programmable genetic changes, the CRISPR-Cas system has become a revolutionary tool for microbial genome engineering. This article summarizes the use of CRISPR-Cas technology to create modified strains for the manufacturing of high value-added industrial products. First, the basic mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas systems are explained, including target recognition, Cas-mediated DNA cleavage, and repair pathways including HDR and NHEJ. This article then discusses representative applications in three key microbial hosts: Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Escherichia coli. In B. subtilis, CRISPR-based systems enable multiplex and iterative editing for optimizing hyaluronic acid biosynthesis; in S. cerevisiae, they facilitate marker-free and multi-copy integration for high-value metabolite production; and in E. coli, they improve pathway balance and editing precision for fine chemical synthesis. Collectively, these advances illustrate how CRISPR-Cas technologies provide a versatile and universal platform for rational strain design. The integration of CRISPR-based editing with metabolic engineering continues to drive sustainable, efficient, and scalable biomanufacturing of high value-added products across diverse microbial systems.