Cargill has utilized its expertise in strain engineering and fermentation to develop a yeast biocatalyst capable of efficient fermentation of ethanol from cellulosic biomass hydrolysates.  The CB1 yeast first engineered and used for commercial lactic acid production at Cargill has many characteristics that also make it a useful biocatalyst for cellulosic ethanol.  These attributes include high yield and productivity, and tolerance to low pH, ethanol, high temperature, and inhibitors.  Pathways for xylose and arabinose utilization have been engineered into CB1 and fermentation of these sugars to ethanol demonstrated.  Strain improvement has been conducted using a combination of metabolic engineering, mutagenesis and selection, and strain evolution.  The improved strains are tolerant of the acetic acid and inhibitors in corn stover hydrolysate and can efficiently ferment glucose and xylose in non-detoxified hydrolysate. The physiology of CB1 and an extensive toolbox for strain improvement make this yeast a very useful platform organism for biofuel and chemical production.

Robust yeast biocatalyst for cellulosic ethanol production

239th National Meeting (2010)

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