The oleaginous organism Yarrowia lipolytica is increasingly being recognized as a platform organism for oleochemical production.  We have recently demonstrated advances in both improving genetic tractability and increasing de novo lipid synthesis.  To this end, we have been able to create a superior strain of Y. lipolytica capable of containing upwards of 90% lipid content with titers exceeding 25 g/L lipids.  In this talk, we describe these advances in creating an oleochemical platform organism as well as describe subsequent work to harness Y. lipolytica's de novo lipid synthesis for the production of several value-added oleochemicals.  Specifically, by introducing novel pathways for the synthesis of uncommon fatty acids that are natively produced in plants, we can diversify the portfolio of molecules produced by this cell.  These compounds are attractive metabolic engineering targets that are widely used in numerous commercial applications such as adhesives, plasticizers, lubricants, nutraceuticals, etc.  Through this work, we demonstrate that Y. lipolytica's can serve as a unique platform organism capable of sustainably producing diverse oleochemicals (for both fuels and chemicals applications) from renewable biomass.

Rewiring Yarrowia lipolytica's lipogenesis for the production of diverse oleochemicals

247th National Meeting (2014)

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