China Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (2): 543-554.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2026.02.003

• Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress on the Exploration and Breeding of Microbial Germplasm Resources

SHI Jiaqi(), WANG Chengming, WANG Wenjing, ZHANG Zhuoya, YANG Lijie()   

  1. Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Efficient Feeding,Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Non-grain Feed Resources,Co-construction by Ministry and Province,College of Animal Science and Technology,Shandong Agricultural University,Tai’an 271018,China
  • Revised:2025-09-03 Online:2026-02-20 Published:2026-01-28
  • Contact: YANG Lijie E-mail:Sjq77317@163.com;yanglijie@sdau.edu.cn

Abstract:

Microorganisms are the most abundant biological groups on the earth, exerting crucial functions in diverse aspects of human existence, spanning production, healthcare, and daily routines. Nevertheless, the traditional methodologies employed for microbial cultivation and exploration have remained relatively primitive, which means that merely an infinitesimal proportion of microorganisms can be successfully cultured under such circumstances. In recent time, propelled by the remarkable advancements in high throughput sequencing, culturomics has progressively captured the attention of researchers and revealed remarkable potential for application in the pursuit of microbial germplasm resources. For example, by combining multiple culture conditions with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), new strains have been successfully screened from environments like the intestines of livestock and poultry, as well as forest or marine sediments, providing novel approach for the exploration of microbial resources. Meanwhile, synthetic biology offers fresh ideas for the directed modification and functional enhancement of microorganisms. It achieves this by constructing microbial cell factories, analyzing the metabolic networks of non-model strains, and designing and synthesizing microbial communities. For instance, the construction of microbial cell factories has enabled the efficient biosynthesis of products such as artemisinic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). New chassis cells developed from non-model strains (e.g., thermophiles and halotolerant actinomycetes) have overcome the metabolic limitations of traditional model bacteria. Additionally, synthetic microbial communities have optimized biosynthetic pathways for complex products and improved the efficiency of microbial screening and cultivation. This review summarizes recent advances in the exploration and breeding of microbial germplasm resources, with a focus on the combined application strategies of culturomics and other technical approaches. It integrates the research progress in constructing microbial cell factories, modifying non-model strains, and designing synthetic microbial communities, along with their applications and challenges in diverse fields, so as to provide theoretical foundation and technical reference for the efficient exploration and utilization of microbial germplasm resources in China.

Key words: microorganism; culturomics; germplasm resources; MALDI-TOF MS; microbial cell factory; synthetic biology

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