Synthetic biology as a game-changer for endangered medicinal orchids: biosynthesis, engineering and conservation

Abstract

Covering: 2012 to 2026

Medicinal orchids constitute a rich yet vulnerable reservoir of high-value bioactive metabolites. However, their sustainable exploitation is severely hampered by resource depletion and the inefficiency of traditional extraction. Synthetic biology emerges as a transformative game-changer to resolve this impasse. This review delineates how synthetic biology drives a paradigm shift in endangered orchid conservation. Through modular design of biosynthetic pathways, heterologous reconstruction in microbial or plant chassis, directed evolution of key enzymes, metabolic engineering, and scalable production, it offers a disruptive solution, fundamentally redefining sustainable utilization by decoupling supply from ecological extraction. We highlight the successful heterologous biosynthesis of representative compounds like gastrodin and dendrobine. Facilitated by pathway optimization, chassis engineering and synthetic consortia design, these efforts have established cell factories that demonstrate the potential for sustainable and non-plant-based production, offering a viable alternative to wild harvest. Furthermore, the research encompasses recent breakthroughs in decoding orchid metabolic networks, including the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways, identification of core enzyme repertoires and discovery of regulatory switches involving transcription factors and miRNAs. Insights from evolutionary genomics and endophyte symbioses are also discussed as critical guides for pathway optimization. We explore the translational impact of these innovations, highlighting how the integration of multi-omics, artificial intelligence and gene editing accelerates the Design–Build–Test–Learn cycle. In summary, synthetic biology represents an essential paradigm shift, transitioning orchid resource management from a narrative of scarcity to one of predictable engineering creation and thereby securing a robust and sustainable supply chain for these prized medicinal plants.