https://pages.htgaa.org/2026a/ana-gomez/labs/week-12-lab-bioproduction/index.htmlBioproduction of Beta-Carotene and Lycopene 1. Enzymes of the carotene pathway CrtE, CrtB, CrtI, and CrtY are key enzymes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. CrtE participates in geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthesis, CrtB catalyzes phytoene formation, CrtI mediates phytoene desaturation, and CrtY converts lycopene into beta-carotene. Although these enzymes are essential for carotenoid production, recent metabolic engineering studies suggest that carotenoid-specific enzymes do not solely limit lycopene yield. Instead, precursor availability, metabolic flux through the MEP pathway, cofactor balance, and overall cellular metabolism strongly influence production efficiency. (Huang et al., 2025; Jing et al., 2021; Sandmann & Misawa, 1992)Hugoen