Characterizing Yarrowia lipolytica as a cell factory for sustainable bioprocesses

With current global focus on renewable and sustainable technologies, there is a strong need to develop innovative solutions in industrial biotechnology. The non-conventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica has considerable potential as a versatile cell factory, especially when compared to the typically applied organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae which utilizes glycerol very slowly and requires genetic engineering for conversion of lignocellulosic sugar monomers xylose and arabinose.

In this study we could show that Y. lipolytica IBT 446 is versatile and interesting as a biorefinery cell factory, as it is natural capable to utilize sugars typically found in plant hydrolysates (glucose, xylose, arabinose) together with glycerol in mixed carbon cultivations. Furthermore the strains W29 and H222 are naturally capable of conversion of glycerol, glucose and xylose.