The ability to specifically modify bacterial genomes in a precise and efficient manner is highly desired in various fields, ranging from molecular genetics to metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Much has changed from the initial realization that phage-derived genes may be employed for such tasks to today, where recombineering enables complex genetic edits within a genome or a population. Here, we review the major developments leading to recombineering becoming the method of choice for in situ bacterial genome editing while highlighting the various applications of recombineering in pushing the boundaries of synthetic biology. We also present the current understanding of the mechanism of recombineering. Finally, we discuss in detail issues surrounding recombineering efficiency and future directions for recombineering-based genome editing.
Keywords: genome engineering; homologous recombination; lambda phage; recombineering.