Cyanobacteria as a photosynthetic factory for the production of natural and synthetic compounds

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms that can produce various natural and synthetic compounds with biotechnological and industrial applications. This review summarizes the recent advances in using cyanobacteria as a source of biofuels, fatty acids, pigments, plant secondary metabolites, and cyanotoxins. The review also highlights the challenges and opportunities of engineering the metabolism of cyanobacteria to improve the performance and yield of cyanobacterial bioprocesses. Cyanobacteria are a potential and sustainable solution to replace conventional sources of bio-based products.