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Abstract
<p class="first" id="P1">Harnessing the process of natural selection to obtain and
understand new microbial
phenotypes has become increasingly possible due to advances in culturing techniques,
DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and genetic engineering. Accordingly, Adaptive Laboratory
Evolution (ALE) experiments represent a powerful approach to both investigate the
evolutionary forces influencing strain phenotypes, performance, and stability, and
to acquire production strains that contain beneficial mutations. In this review, we
summarize and categorize the applications of ALE to various aspects of microbial physiology
pertinent to industrial bioproduction by collecting case studies that highlight the
multitude of ways in which evolution can facilitate the strain construction process.
Further, we discuss principles that inform experimental design, complementary approaches
such as computational modeling that help maximize utility, and the future of ALE as
an efficient strain design and build tool driven by growing adoption and improvements
in automation.
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