Microbial Cell Factoriesinvites submissions to a specialthematic serieson Systems biotechnology and metabolic engineering, edited bySang Yup Lee.

Systems biotechnologycan be defined based on thedefinitionof biotechnology from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD)as “The application of science and technology atsystemslevel to living organisms as well as parts, products and models thereof, for the production of knowledge, goods and services”.

The series will focus upon systems approaches to microbial biotechnology, spanning up-stream strain (cell and organism development by metabolic engineering) to mid-stream (fermentation and other unit operations) and down-stream processes. In the cases of mid- to down-stream bioprocesses, the systems engineering approach has been successfully applied in chemical industries (as a core subject of chemical engineering). Now, it is time to take systems biotechnological approaches in developing up-stream processes such as strain development, which will ultimately lead to successful biotechnology development when combined with systems engineering of mid- to down-stream processes.

Submit your manuscriptonline, indicating in your covering letter that you would like to be considered for the series. Submissions to the series will undergo rigorous peer review and if acceptable, your article will be formally published inMicrobial Cell Factoriesas soon as it is ready, and will be highlighted as part of the collection. The series will run continuously throughout 2013, so keep watching theseries page, to find the latest high quality research in Systems biotechnology and metabolic engineering.

If you would like to enquire about the suitability of a study for consideration, please email a presubmission enquiry toeditorial@microbialcellfactories.com.