Reconstructing the scent of nature: advanced biosynthesis and engineering strategies for high-value natural fragrance compounds.

Advanced biosynthesis and engineering strategies enable sustainable production of high-value natural fragrance compounds, with over 100 recent breakthroughs summarized.

• Why it matters: Natural fragrances are essential for sensory quality in various products, but traditional extraction methods are limited and unsustainable, creating a need for alternative biomanufacturing solutions.
• What they did: The review covers biosynthesis classification, key structural-odor relationships, core biosynthetic networks for four major compound lineages, and detailed engineering strategies at enzyme, metabolic, and cellular levels.
• The result: These advances facilitate overcoming biosynthetic bottlenecks and scaling up bioprocesses, paving the way for sustainable, complex aroma production and expanding applications in food, cosmetics, and consumer goods.