This Special Issue seeks contributions focused on biological engineering towards a sustainable, circular bioeconomy. Submit your manuscript by February 28, 2026.
As the global community seeks sustainable solutions to address environmental challenges and resource scarcity, synthetic biology emerges as a transformative force in enabling a circular economy. This Special Issue invites cutting-edge research and visionary perspectives at the intersection of metabolic and biological engineering with circular economy principles. Exploring the theme of sustainability through engineering biology, we seek to highlight how advances in synthetic and systems biology can drive circularity across industries and ecosystems.
ACS Synthetic Biology is a leading voice in the field of metabolic and biological engineering. The Organizing Editors seek to encourage and highlight researchers’ efforts towards implementing synthetic biology methodologies that explore innovative strategies and technologies leveraging synthetic biology to close material loops, valorize waste, and create sustainable biomanufacturing systems.
Topics include, but are not limited to, Metabolic & Biological Engineering for:
- Resource Recovery
- Waste Valorization
- C1 utilization
- Closed-loop Systems
- Biocatalysis
- Chemo-biosynthesis
- Electro-bioprocess
- Biomanufacturing
- Algae and Gas Fermentation
- Plastic upcycling
- Life Cycle Assessment
Organizing Editors
Prof. Dr. Kyle J. Lauersen, Guest Editor
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Prof. An-Ping Zeng, Guest Editor
Westlake University, China
Dr. Michael Köpke, Guest Editor
LanzaTech, United States
Submission Information
We welcome submissions for this Special Issue through February 28, 2026. For more information on submission requirements, please visit the Author Guidelines page.
Accepted manuscripts for consideration in this Special Issue will include research articles, reviews, perspectives, and technical notes. Papers accepted for publication for this Special Issue will be available ASAP (as soon as publishable) online as soon as they are accepted. After all submissions have been published, they will then be compiled online on a dedicated landing page to form the Special Issue. Manuscripts submitted for consideration will undergo the full rigorous peer review process expected from ACS journals.
Authors are encouraged to adhere to FAIR Data Principles when submitting their work.
How to Submit
- Log in to the ACS Publishing Center.
- Select the "Journals" tab.
- Choose ACS Synthetic Biology.
- Click "Submit."
- Select your manuscript type, and, under "Special Issue Selection," choose “Synthetic Biology & the Circular Economy."
If you have any general questions regarding submission to this Special Issue, please contact managing.editor@synthbiol.acs.org.
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