Special Issue Call -Sustainability MDPI

Title: Recent trends in Biotechnology and Circular Economy: Driving Sustainable Innovations in the Bioeconomy

Proposed deadline: Sept 2025

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue explores the expanding role of biotechnology in transforming sustainable waste management and advancing the circular bioeconomy, with a focus on recent innovations in integrating biotechnological processes into waste valorization. These advancements harness biotechnology to convert waste materials into valuable products, promoting both environmental sustainability and economic growth. The issue will spotlight the application of biotechnology to develop innovative solutions for waste valorization challenges, utilizing biological systems, such as microorganisms, enzymes, and metabolic pathways, to convert waste into high-value products like biofuels, bioplastics, chemicals, and fertilizers.

We are delighted to invite you to contribute to this special issue, which will explore various areas including:

• Biological Mechanisms for Transforming Agricultural Waste into Valuable Products
• Biotechnological Approaches to Valorizing Industrial Waste Streams for a Circular Economy
• Engineered Microorganisms for Efficient Resource Recovery from Waste Streams 
• Optimizing Waste-to-Value Chains: Incorporating Biotechnology into Current Waste Management Systems
• Techno-Economic Considerations in Scaling Up Biotechnological Waste Valorization

It is important to highlight that the synergistic use of biotechnology in waste valorization not only reduces environmental impacts but also fosters new economic opportunities within bio-based industries. This transition towards a bioeconomy offers the potential for sustainable economic growth, resource efficiency, and enhanced climate resilience. The issue also aims to identify future research directions, including optimizing biotechnological processes for various waste streams, scaling industrial applications, and addressing technical, economic, and regulatory challenges to ensure successful implementation across different sectors.

Keywords:  waste valorisation, biorefineries, biotechnology, sustainability, biomaterials, environmental impacts, bioeconomy