Towards synthetic ecology: strategies for the optimization of microbial community functions

Abstract

Microbial communities are able to carry out myriad functions of biotechnological interest, ranging from the degradation of industrial waste to the synthesis of valuable chemical products. Over the past years, several strategies have emerged for the design of microbial communities and the optimization of their functions. Here we provide an accessible overview of these strategies. We highlight how principles of synthetic biology, originally devised for the engineering of individual organisms and sub-organismal units (e.g., enzymes), have influenced the development of the field of synthetic microbial ecology. With this, we aim to encourage readers to critically evaluate how insights from synthetic biology should guide our approach to community-level engineering.