Revolutionizing keratinase science: Biocatalytic advances, sustainable innovation, and industrial perspectives

Abstract

Keratinases represent a distinct class of proteolytic enzymes capable of depolymerising the highly recalcitrant structure of keratin. In recent years, these enzymes have garnered increasing attention owing to their potential applications in environmental remediation and the circular bioeconomy. This review systematically traces the historical progression of keratinase research, delineates their classification and catalytic mechanisms, and highlights their diverse application spectrum. Keratinases are broadly categorised into serine proteases, metalloproteases, and serine–metallo hybrid proteases, each exhibiting unique structural and mechanistic features. These biocatalysts have demonstrated considerable utility across agriculture, industry, biomedicine, and bioenergy sectors. The advent of protein engineering, artificial intelligence-assisted enzyme design, and synthetic biology has provided powerful tools to enhance keratinase thermostability, catalytic efficiency, and substrate specificity. Nonetheless, their widespread industrial deployment remains constrained by high production costs, suboptimal enzyme stability, and regulatory complexities. Future research should prioritize the development of multifunctional keratinase systems, integrate multi-omics approaches to elucidate keratin degradation pathways at a systems level, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations to address existing technical barriers. Collectively, this review articulates strategic directions for advancing keratinase research and paves the way for their translational applications in sustainable development and resource management.