Rene Wijffels

Medium‐chain‐length α,ω‐diols (mcl‐diols) play an important role in polymer production, traditionally depending on energy‐intensive chemical processes. Microbial cell factories offer an alternative, but conventional strains like Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae face challenges in mcl‐diol production due to the toxicity of intermediates such as alcohols and acids. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology enable the engineering of non‐model strains for such purposes with P. putida emerging as a promising microbial platform. This study reviews the advancement in diol production using P. putida and proposes a four‐module approach for the sustainable production of diols. Despite progress, challenges persist, and this study discusses current obstacles and future opportunities for leveraging P. putida as a microbial cell factory for mcl‐diol production. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential of using P. putida as an efficient chassis for diol synthesis.