Lipases are ubiquitous biocatalysts that catalyze various reactions in organic solvents or in solvent-free
systems and are increasingly applied in various industrial fields. In view of the excellent catalytic activities
and the huge application potential, more than 20 microbial lipases have been realized in large-scale
commercial production. The potential for commercial exploitation of a microbial lipase is determined
by its yield, activity, stability and other characteristics. This review will survey the various technical
methods that have been developed to enhance yield, activity and stability of microbial lipases from four
aspects, including improvements in lipase-producing strains, modification of lipase genes, fermentation
engineering of lipases and downstream processing technology of lipase products.