Accumulation of Lipids by the Oleaginous Yeast Yarrowia Lipolytica Grown on Carboxylic Acids Simulating Syngas and Carbon Dioxide Fermentation

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG

[Abstract] Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) can be considered as low-cost carbon substrates for lipid accumulation by oleaginous yeasts. This study demonstrates that a common mixture of VFAs, typically obtained from the anaerobic fermentation of C1-gases by some acetogenic bacteria, can be used in a second aerobic fermentation with the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to obtain lipids as precursors of biodiesel. In the batch experiments, the preference of Yarrowia lipolytica W29 for acetic acid over butyric and caproic acids was demonstrated, with the highest consumption rate reaching 0.664 g/L·h. In the bioreactor experiments, the amount initial biomass inoculated, as well as the initial acid concentration, were found to have a significant influence on the process. Though the lipid content was relatively low, it can be optimized and further improved. Oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids accounted for about 80 % of the fatty acids in the lipids, which makes them suitable for biodiesel.

This research is part of a project funded through the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and European FEDER funds (PID2020-117805RB-I00). Funding for Open access publication provided by Universidade da Coruña-CISUG. The manuscript is based on research related to COST action Yeast4Bio. The authors, belonging to the BIOENGIN group, thank Xunta de Galicia for financial support to Competitive Reference Research Groups (ED431C 2021/55)

Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2021/55