Abstract:2-Phenylethanol (2-PE) is an aromatic alcohol with a pleasant rose-like fragrance. It has been widely used in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industry. Most of 2-PE is produced by chemical synthesis, but the use of chemically synthesized product is restricted in some fields. 2-PE from plant extraction is natural but its production is very low. Microbial biotransformation is a promising process to produce natural 2-PE. In this paper, we review recent research progress in the synthetic metabolic pathways and regulatory processes of 2-PE in yeast, and strategies for improving 2-PE production. Moreover, we discuss the limitation of current progress and future research directions.