Fanyu Chen, Chaowei Zhou, Peifang Ren, Tianpeng Chen, Yu Sha, Wenjun Sun, Yong Chen
Microbial cell surface display systems represent a promising and robust approach for engineering whole-cell biocatalysts, with broad applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. This methodology overcomes limitations in substrate transport, eliminates the laborious and time-consuming process of enzyme purification, and enhances reusability and regenerability in repeated batch processes, thereby delivering economic benefits. Among various host systems, yeast surface display (YSD) offers unique advantages, such as large cell size, ease of culture and genetic manipulation, and the capacity for complete post-translational processing of secreted proteins. This review highlights strategies to improve the efficiency of YSD from novel perspectives, including intracellular molecular transcription, cell surface engineering, and external spatial expansion. Additionally, it comprehensively summarizes the practical applications of YSD in biocatalysis, underscoring their transformative potential in industrial and biomedical contexts.