Book excerpt: Microbial metabolism refers to how microbes obtain energy and nutrients needed to live and reproduce. Its uses in chemical synthesis are multiple, and, when engineered, can provide reliable and reproducible reactions for application in industrial or biogeochemical processes.This book provides expert reviews and perspectives on how to engineer microbial metabolism for chemical synthesis. Major metabolic pathways or networks in microbial systems, including glycolysis, citric acid and photosynthesis, are briefly summarized. Following this, the metabolic engineering efforts of extending these pathways and networks for the biosynthesis of various chemicals are reviewed with the emphasis on the biochemical reactions and engineering strategies. The potential of these pathways for further metabolic engineering are also discussed. From graduate to professional level, cellular metabolism and metabolic engineering applications are introduced to the readers gradually and systematically, making it perfect for students, researchers and practitioners of chemistry, biochemistry and metabolic engineering.