Can synthetic biology really empower microbial biopolymers as efficient food contact materials?

This opinion paper explores the potential of integrating synthetic biology into microbial polymers to produce tailored biopolymers for food packaging applications. Synthetic biology has shown precise control over metabolic machinery, enabling the manipulation of pathways involved in microbial biopolymer production. However, there is limited literature available on utilizing the same pathways for designing tailored biopolymers suitable as efficient food contact materials. This is primarily due to the regulatory status of microbial polymers as determined by food safety authorities. One possible solution is to leverage synthetic biology tools by adopting safety assessment protocols established within the regulatory framework. By considering the advantages of synthetic biology-driven microbial polymers, this innovative approach has the potential, not only to replace conventional methods but also to provide additional value by addressing environmental concerns associated with traditional food packaging. •Synthetic biology can manipulate pathways involved in microbial polymer production.•Limited literature on utilizing synthetic biology for tailored biopolymer design.•Synthetic biology can prove superior to traditional polymer tunning methods.•Regulatory status of microbial polymers a major hurdle in unlocking full potential.