Systematic biotechnological production of isoprenoid analogs with bespoke carbon skeletons

Abstract Natural products are widely used as pharmaceuticals, flavors, fragrances, and cosmetic ingredients. Synthesizing and evaluating analogs of natural products can considerably expand their applications. However, the chemical synthesis of analogs of natural products is severely hampered by their highly complex structures. This is particularly evident in isoprenoids, the largest class of natural products. Here, we develop a yeast cell-based biocatalytic method that enables the systematic biotechnological production of analogs of different classes of isoprenoids (including monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, triterpenoids, and