LIPOYEASTS

This proposal aims at developing a versatile fermentation platform for the conversion of lipid feed stocks into diverse added-value products. It is proposed to develop the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica into a microbial factory by directing its versatile lipid metabolism towards the production of industrially valuable compounds like wax esters (WE), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA s), free hydroxyl fatty acids (HFA s) and isoprenoid-derived compounds (carotenoids, polyenic carotenoid ester). Conversion of lipid intermediates into these products will be achieved by introducing heterologous enzyme functions isolated from marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria into Yarrowia.

To achieve these goals we have assembled a team with a broad set of complementary expertise in microbial physiology, metabolic engineering, yeast lipid metabolism, metagenomics, biochemical and protein engineering. Already available for this project are a number of genetically engineered Yarrowia strains as well as a collection of genes encoding enzymes for the production of WE s, 3-HFA s, PHA s and carotenoids. The following complementary research focus areas are proposed: Engineering of metabolic precursor pools in Yarrowia lipolytica for the production of added-value products from lipids (INRA, UGe).