Synthetic Biology and Engineering

Guide for Authors Submit to SBE

SynBio Japan: Current Innovations and Future Horizons

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026.

Guest Editors (2)

Tsutomu Tanaka
Prof. Dr. Tsutomu Tanaka 
Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
Interests: Synthetic Biology; Metabolic Engineering; Biorefinery; Enzyme Engineering
Website: http://www2.kobe-u.ac.jp/~akondo/en/tanaka.html
Shuhei Noda
Dr. Shuhei Noda 
Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 657-8501, Japan
Interests: Protein Engineering; Enzyme Engineering; Synthetic Biology; Metabolic Engineering
Website: https://researchmap.jp/8FE806

Special Issue Information

Japan possesses unique potential to lead the next wave of synthetic biology (SynBio), bridging fundamental science with translational applications across healthcare, bioengineering, materials, energy, and the environment. In recent years, Japanese researchers have made remarkable advances in synthetic genetic circuits, microbial chassis engineering, metabolic pathway optimization, and bioprocess development. At the same time, Japan’s strong traditions in engineering, chemistry, medicine, and systems biology offer fertile ground for interdisciplinary integration that can accelerate SynBio innovations toward practical and sustainable solutions.

This special issue, SynBio Japan: Current Innovations and Future Horizons, aims to showcase the latest achievements in Japanese SynBio research while exploring the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for its global deployment.

We welcome both original research and comprehensive reviews across a wide spectrum of topics, including but not limited to:
  • Advanced genetic design and synthetic circuits: novel regulatory elements, dynamic control systems, and robust design principles for predictable biological functions.
  • Novel and non-conventional chassis organisms: resilient and resource-efficient microbial and cell platforms, including microalgae, cyanobacteria, extremophiles, and cell-free systems.
  • Metabolic platform engineering for renewable feedstocks: valorization of lignin, biomass, waste streams, and C1/CO₂ feedstocks toward carbon neutrality and carbon-negative processes.
  • Biocatalysis and enzyme engineering: rational design, directed evolution, structural insights, and high-throughput screening for next-generation catalysts with superior performance.
  • Medical and bioengineering applications: synthetic biology for regenerative medicine, gene and cell therapies, smart biomaterials, biosensors, diagnostic platforms, and biomanufacturing of pharmaceuticals.
  • Scale-up and process engineering: fermentation strategies, bioreactor design, process optimization, downstream processing, and techno-economic feasibility.
Through this special issue, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the current innovations shaping Japanese synthetic biology and to illuminate the future horizons where these advances may converge with societal and medical needs. We hope this collection will serve as a platform for researchers, engineers, clinicians, policymakers, and industry leaders to exchange ideas, inspire collaborations, and expand the frontiers of SynBio in Japan and beyond.

Keywords:
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Genetic Circuits
  • Metabolic Engineering
  • Microbial Cell Factory
  • Cell-Free Systems
  • Enzyme Engineering
  • Biocatalysis
  • Renewable Feedstocks
  • CO₂ and C1 Utilization
  • Bioreactor Engineering
  • Gene and Cell Therapy
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biosensors and Smart Biomaterials
  • Industrial Biotechnology

 

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