Efficient conversion of biomass into lipids by using the simultaneous saccharification and enhanced lipid production process

Biorefinery of vineyard winter prunings for production of microbial lipids by the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus

Spent biomass from agricultural and forestry industries are substantial low-cost carbon source for reducing the input of microbial lipid production. Herein, the components of the vineyard winter prunings (VWPs) from 40 grape cultivars were analyzed. The VWPs contained (w/w) cellulose ranged from 24.8% to 32.4%, hemicellulose 9.6% to 13.8%, lignin 23.7% to 32.4%. The VWPs from Cabernet Sauvignon was processed with the alkali-methanol pretreatment, and 95.8% of the sugars was released from the regenerated VWPs after enzymatic hydrolysis. The hydrolysates from the regenerated VWPs was suitable for lipid production without further treatment as a lipid content of 59% could be achieved with Cryptococcus curvatus. The regenerated VWPs was also used for lipid production via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), which led to a lipid yield of 0.088 g/g raw VWPs, 0.126 g/g regenerated VWPs and 0.185 g/g from the reducing sugars. This work demonstrated that the VWPs can be explored for co-production of microbial lipids.

Cellulase mediated stress triggers the mutations of oleaginous yeast Trichosporon cutaneum with super-large spindle morphology and high lipid accumulation

Accumulation of intracellular lipid bodies in oleaginous yeast cells is highly restricted by their natural intracellular space. Here we show a cellulase mediated adaptive evolution with ultra-centrifugation fractionation of oleaginous yeast Trichosporon cutaneum to obtain the favorable cell structure for lipid accumulation. Cellulase was added to the wheat straw hydrolysate during long-term adaptive evolution for disruption of cell wall integrity of T. cutaneum cells. The cellulase, together with ultracentrifugation force, triggered multiple mutations and transcriptional expression changes of the functional genes associated with cell wall integrity and lipid synthesis metabolism. The fractionated mutant T. cutaneum YY52 demonstrated the heavily weakened cell wall and high lipid accumulation by the super-large expanded spindle cells (two orders of magnitude greater than the parental). A record-high lipid production by T. cutaneum YY52 was achieved (55.4 ± 0.5 g L-1 from wheat straw and 58.4 ± 0.1 g L-1 from corn stover). This study not only obtained an oleaginous yeast strain with industrial application potential for lipid production but also provided a new method for generation of mutant cells with high intracellular metabolite accumulation.

Combination of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of corn stover with consolidated bioprocessing of cassava starch enhances lipid production by the amylolytic oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi

Highly integrated processes are crucial for the commercial success of microbial lipid production from low-cost substrates. Here, combination of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of corn stover with consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of cassava starch by Lipomyces starkeyi was firstly developed as a novel strategy for lipid production. Starch was quickly hydrolyzed within 24 h by the amylolytic enzymes secreted by L. starkeyi to provide adequate fermentable sugars at the initial stage of culture, which eliminated the pre-hydrolysis step. More interestingly, synergistic effect for achieving higher lipid production by combined utilization of corn stover and cassava starch at relatively low enzyme dosage was realized, in comparison with the separate utilization of these two substrates. The fatty acid profiles indicated that lipid prepared by the combination strategy was suitable precursor for biodiesel production. The combined SSF&CBP strategy offers a simplified, highly-efficient, and economical route for co-valorization of low-cost substrates into lipids.

Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus: A Versatile Whole-Cell Biocatalyst for the Production of Single-Cell Oil from Agro-Industrial Wastes

Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus is an oleaginous yeast with several favourable qualities: It is fast growing, accumulates high amounts of lipids and has a very broad substrate spectrum. Its resistance to hydrolysis by-products makes it a promising biocatalyst for custom tailored microbial oils. C. oleaginosus can accumulate up to 60 wt.% of its biomass as lipids. This species is able to grow by using several compounds as a substrate, such as acetic acid, biodiesel-derived glycerol, N-acetylglucosamine, lignocellulosic hydrolysates, wastepaper and other agro-industrial wastes. This review is focused on state-of-the-art innovative and sustainable biorefinery schemes involving this promising yeast and second- and third-generation biomasses. Moreover, this review offers a comprehensive and updated summary of process strategies, biomass pretreatments and fermentation conditions for enhancing lipid production by C. oleaginosus as a whole-cell biocatalyst. Finally, an overview of the main industrial applications of single-cell oil is reported together with future perspectives.

Oleaginous Yeasts as Cell Factories for the Sustainable Production of Microbial Lipids by the Valorization of Agri-Food Wastes

The agri-food industry annually produces huge amounts of crops residues and wastes, the suitable management of these products is important to increase the sustainability of agro-industrial production by optimizing the entire value chain. This is also in line with the driving principles of the circular economy, according to which residues can become feedstocks for novel processes. Oleaginous yeasts represent a versatile tool to produce biobased chemicals and intermediates. They are flexible microbial factories able to grow on different side-stream carbon sources such as those deriving from agri-food wastes, and this characteristic makes them excellent candidates for integrated biorefinery processes through the production of microbial lipids, known as single cell oils (SCOs), for different applications. This review aims to present an extensive overview of research progress on the production and use of oleaginous yeasts and present discussions on the current bottlenecks and perspectives of their exploitation in different sectors, such as foods, biofuels and fine chemicals.

Lignocellulosic Biomass as a Substrate for Oleaginous Microorganisms: A Review

Microorganisms capable of accumulating lipids in high percentages, known as oleaginous microorganisms, have been widely studied as an alternative for producing oleochemicals and biofuels. Microbial lipid, so-called Single Cell Oil (SCO), production depends on several growth parameters, including the nature of the carbon substrate, which must be efficiently taken up and converted into storage lipid. On the other hand, substrates considered for large scale applications must be abundant and of low acquisition cost. Among others, lignocellulosic biomass is a promising renewable substrate containing high percentages of assimilable sugars (hexoses and pentoses). However, it is also highly recalcitrant, and therefore it requires specific pretreatments in order to release its assimilable components. The main drawback of lignocellulose pretreatment is the generation of several by-products that can inhibit the microbial metabolism. In this review, we discuss the main aspects related to the cultivation of oleaginous microorganisms using lignocellulosic biomass as substrate, hoping to contribute to the development of a sustainable process for SCO production in the near future.

Patterns of Lignocellulosic Sugar Assimilation and Lipid Production by Newly Isolated Yeast Strains From Chilean Valdivian Forest

Three yeast strains were isolated from decaying wood of Chilean Valdivian forest and identified as Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Scheffersomyces coipomensis, and Sugiyamaella paludigena. These strains were able to efficiently grow on the major monomers contained in Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus spp. wood that includes glucose (Glc), xylose (Xyl), and mannose (Man), showing at 28 °C higher uptake rates for Man, and in some cases for Glc, than for Xyl, used as single carbon sources. Nevertheless, in cultures performed on sugar mixtures, the strains displayed a notable preference for Glc. Additionally, in sugar mixtures, the absence of regulatory mechanisms in sugar assimilation (e.g., catabolic repression) was observed and documented when the activities of several enzymes involved in sugar assimilation (i.e., phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphomannose isomerase, and xylulokinase) were determined. The activity of the key enzymes involved in the onset of lipid accumulation (i.e., NAD⁺-ICDH) and in fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis (i.e., ATP:CL) indicated a significant accumulation of storage lipids (i.e., up to 24%, w/w) containing oleic and palmitic acids as the major components. The present paper is the first report on the potential of M. guilliermondii, S. coipomensis, and S. paludigena as oleaginous yeasts. We conclude that the new isolates, being able to simultaneously assimilate the major lignocellulosic sugars and efficiently convert them into oily biomass, present a biotechnological potential which deserve further investigation.

Automated Pressurized Liquid Extraction of Microbial Lipids from Oleaginous Yeasts

The lipids produced by oleaginous microbes are considered sustainable resources for biofuels. To facilitate controlled lipid production and lipid analysis, more efficient lipid extraction methods are required. This study describes the automated pressurized liquid extraction (APLE) method for lipid extraction from dried cells of the oleaginous yeast species Rhodosporidium toruloides and Cryptococcus curvatus. Cells were mixed with diatomite in a mortar, added to the sample chamber, and treated with a mixture of chloroform and methanol at 105 °C. More than 95% lipids were extracted. Analysis by using high-performance thin-layer chromatography showed that the neutral lipid contents in the obtained samples by APLE method were similar to those by the ball milling-assisted extraction method. The lipids had an essentially identical fatty acid composition compared with lipids extracted with the acid-heating extraction (AHE) method. This demonstrated that lipids can be efficiently extracted from oleaginous yeasts in less time and without harsh pretreatment procedures.

Microbial Lipid Production from Corn Stover by the Oleaginous Yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides Using the PreSSLP Process

Dry acid pretreatment and biodetoxification (DryPB) has been considered as an advanced technology to treat lignocellulosic materials for improved downstream bioconversion. In this study, the lipid production from DryPB corn stover was investigated by the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides using a new process designated prehydrolysis followed by simultaneous saccharification and lipid production (PreSSLP). The results found that prehydrolysis at 50 °C and then lipid production at 30 °C improved lipid yield by more than 17.0% compared with those without a prehydrolysis step. The highest lipid yield of 0.080 g/g DryPB corn stover was achieved at a solid loading of 12.5%. The fatty acid distribution of lipid products was similar to those of conventional vegetable oils that are used for biodiesel production. Our results suggested that the integration of DryPB process and PreSSLP process can be explored as an improved technology for microbial lipid production from lignocellulosic materials.

Biochemical engineering in China

Chinese biochemical engineering is committed to supporting the chemical and food industries, to advance science and technology frontiers, and to meet major demands of Chinese society and national economic development. This paper reviews the development of biochemical engineering, strategic deployment of these technologies by the government, industrial demand, research progress, and breakthroughs in key technologies in China. Furthermore, the outlook for future developments in biochemical engineering in China is also discussed.

Phosphate removal combined with acetate supplementation enhances lipid production from water hyacinth by Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum

BACKGROUND

Microbial lipids derived from various lignocellulosic feedstocks have emerged as a promising candidate for the biodiesel industry and a potential substitute for high value-added fats. However, lignocellulosic biomass, especially herbaceous biomass, such as water hyacinth, contains high concentrations of nitrogenous components. These compounds impede microbial lipid production, as lipid biosynthesis is commonly induced by imposing a nutrient deficiency, especially nitrogen starvation. Novel strategies and bioprocesses are pivotal for promoting lipid production from nitrogen-rich biomass.

RESULTS

Here a combined strategy of phosphate removal and acetate supplementation was described for enhanced microbial lipid production on water hyacinth hydrolysates by Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum (formerly Cryptococcus curvatus). Lipid production was significantly improved, when the phosphorus limitation and sugars/acetate co-utilization strategies were used separately. In this case, acetate and glucose were consumed simultaneously. Lipid production was observed by the combination of phosphate removal with acetate supplementation. Lipid titer, content, and yield were determined to be 7.3 g/L, 59.7% and 10.1 g/100 g raw water hyacinth, respectively. These data were increased by 4.2, 4.6, and 4.3 times, respectively, compared to those from the unprocessed hydrolysates. The fatty acid compositions of the resulting lipids bear a marked resemblance to those of rapeseed oil, indicating their applicability to the biodiesel industry.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of phosphate removal and acetate supplementation was successful in significantly enhancing microbial lipid production. This strategy offers a valuable solution for nitrogen-rich lignocellulosic feedstocks utilization, which should foster more economical nitrogen-rich biomass-to-lipid bioprocesses.

A two-stage process facilitating microbial lipid production from N-acetylglucosamine by Cryptococcus curvatus cultured under non-sterile conditions

N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), the monomeric constituent of chitin, is rarely studied for lipid production by oleaginous species. This study demonstrated that Cryptococcus curvatus had a great capacity to convert GlcNAc into lipid with high yield using a two-stage production process. Optimal inoculum age and inoculation size strongly improved the two-stage lipid production efficiency. More interestingly, this process rendered superior lipid production under non-sterile condition. The acetate liberated from GlcNAc was consumed timely, while the NH₄⁺ released was rarely assimilated. Lipid titre, lipid content and lipid yield reached 9.9 g/L, 56.9% and 0.23 g/g, respectively, which were significantly higher than those from the conventional process where cell growth and lipid accumulation were coupled. The resulting lipid samples had similar fatty acid compositional profiles to those of vegetable oil, suggesting their potential for biodiesel production. These findings strongly supported the two-stage process as an attractive strategy for better techno-economics of the chitin-to-biodiesel routes.

Agro-industrial waste recycling by Trichosporon fermentans: conversion of waste sweetpotato vines alone into lipid

Agro-industrial waste can be used to replace traditional carbohydrates, such as sucrose, starch, and glucose in many industrial fermentation processes. This study investigated the conversion of pre-treated waste sweetpotato vines (SV) into lipid by Trichosporon fermentans under the separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes. The results showed that SV autoclaving significantly increased the lipid accumulation of T. fermentans compared with acid or alkaline hydrolysis. The effects of different pre-treatments on SV were also studied by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which showed the partial removal of the aliphatic fractions, hemicelluloses, and lignin during pre-treatment. Moreover, the lipid yield of T. fermentans in SSF was 6.98 g L^-1, which was threefold higher than that (2.79 g L^-1) in SHF, and the lipid contents of yeast in SSF and SHF were 36 and 25%, respectively. Overall, this study indicated that SSF using autoclaved SV could increase the growth and lipid production of T. fermentans and provided an efficient way to realize the resource utilization of waste SV.

Identification of novel genes in the carotenogenic and oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula toruloides through genome-wide insertional mutagenesis

Background

Rhodotorula toruloides is an outstanding producer of lipids and carotenoids. Currently, information on the key metabolic pathways and their molecular basis of regulation remains scarce, severely limiting efforts to engineer it as an industrial host.

Results

We have adapted Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) as a gene-tagging tool for the identification of novel genes in R. toruloides. Multiple factors affecting transformation efficiency in several species in the Pucciniomycotina subphylum were optimized. The Agrobacterium transfer DNA (T-DNA) showed predominantly single-copy chromosomal integrations in R. toruloides, which were trackable by high efficiency thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (hiTAIL-PCR). To demonstrate the application of random T-DNA insertions for strain improvement and gene hunting, 3 T-DNA insertional libraries were screened against cerulenin, nile red and tetrazolium violet respectively, resulting in the identification of 22 mutants with obvious phenotypes in fatty acid or lipid metabolism. Similarly, 5 carotenoid biosynthetic mutants were obtained through visual screening of the transformants. To further validate the gene tagging strategy, one of the carotenoid production mutants, RAM5, was analyzed in detail. The mutant had a T-DNA inserted at the putative phytoene desaturase gene CAR1. Deletion of CAR1 by homologous recombination led to a phenotype similar to RAM5 and it could be genetically complemented by re-introduction of the wild-type CAR1 genome sequence.

Conclusions

T-DNA insertional mutagenesis is an efficient forward genetic tool for gene discovery in R. toruloides and related oleaginous yeast species. It is also valuable for metabolic engineering in these hosts. Further analysis of the 27 mutants identified in this study should augment our knowledge of the lipid and carotenoid biosynthesis, which may be exploited for oil and isoprenoid metabolic engineering.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1151-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A bionic system with Fenton reaction and bacteria as a model for bioprocessing lignocellulosic biomass

BACKGROUND

The recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass offers a series of challenges for biochemical processing into biofuels and bio-products. For the first time, we address these challenges with a biomimetic system via a mild yet rapid Fenton reaction and lignocellulose-degrading bacterial strain Cupriavidus basilensis B-8 (here after B-8) to pretreat the rice straw (RS) by mimicking the natural fungal invasion process. Here, we also elaborated the mechanism through conducting a systematic study of physicochemical changes before and after pretreatment.

RESULTS

After synergistic Fenton and B-8 pretreatment, the reducing sugar yield was increased by 15.6-56.6% over Fenton pretreatment alone and 2.7-5.2 times over untreated RS (98 mg g^-1). Morphological analysis revealed that pretreatment changed the surface morphology of the RS, and the increase in roughness and hydrophilic sites enhanced lignocellulose bioavailability. Chemical components analyses showed that B-8 removed part of the lignin and hemicellulose which caused the cellulose content to increase. In addition, the important chemical modifications also occurred in lignin, 2D NMR analysis of the lignin in residues indicated that the Fenton pretreatment caused partial depolymerization of lignin mainly by cleaving the β-O-4 linkages and by demethoxylation to remove the syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) units. B-8 could depolymerize amount of the G units by cleaving the β-5 linkages that interconnect the lignin subunits.

CONCLUSIONS

A biomimetic system with a biochemical Fenton reaction and lignocellulose-degrading bacteria was confirmed to be able for the pretreatment of RS to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis under mild conditions. The high digestibility was attributed to the destruction of the lignin structure, partial hydrolysis of the hemicellulose and partial surface oxidation of the cellulose. The mechanism of synergistic Fenton and B-8 pretreatment was also explored to understand the change in the RS and the bacterial effects on enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, this biomimetic system offers new insights into the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass.

Opportunities and challenges in the development of Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus ATCC 20509 as a new cell factory for custom tailored microbial oils

Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus ATCC 20509, previously known as Trichosporon oleaginosus, Cryptococcus curvatus, Apiotrichum curvatum or Candida curvata D is an oleaginous yeast with several favorable qualities: it is fast growing, accumulates high amounts of lipid and has a very broad substrate spectrum. Its resistance to hydrolysis byproducts and genetic accessibility make it a promising cell factory for custom tailored microbial oils. However, literature about this organism is of varying degree of quality. Moreover, due to numerous changes of the species name, reports are highly scattered and poorly cited. This led to a poor integration of the findings into a unified body of knowledge. Particularly, errors in strain name usage and consequently citation are found even in most recent literature. To simplify future work, this review provides an overview of published studies and main findings regarding the metabolic capacities of C. oleaginosus.

Non-sterile fermentations for the economical biochemical conversion of renewable feedstocks

Heavy reliance on petroleum-based products drives continuous exploitation of fossil fuels, and results in serious environmental and climate problems. To address such an issue, there is a shift from petroleum sources to renewable ones. Biochemical conversion via fermentation is a primary platform for converting renewable sources to biofuels and bulk chemicals. In order to provide cost-competitive alternatives, it is imperative to develop efficient, cost-saving, and robust fermentation processes. Non-sterile fermentation offers several benefits compared to sterile fermentation, including elimination of sterility, reduced maintenance requirements, relatively simple bioreactor design, and simplified operation. Thus, cost effectiveness of non-sterile fermentation makes it a practical platform for low cost, large volume production of biofuels and bulk chemicals. Many approaches have been developed to conduct non-sterile fermentation without sacrificing the yields and productivities of fermentation products. This review focuses on the strategies for conducting non-sterile fermentation. The challenges facing non-sterile fermentation are also discussed.

Effects of Salts Contained in Lignocellulose-Derived Sugar Streams on Microbial Lipid Production

This study aimed at developing low-cost, robust non-sterile fermentation processes for microbial lipid production from lignocellulose-derived sugars. Three representative oleaginous yeasts, Lipomyces tetrasporus (NRRL Y-11562), Rhodotorula toruloides (NRRL Y-1091), and Yarrowia lipolytica (NRRL YB-437), were tested for lipid production via non-sterile fermentation. Under optimal non-sterile conditions, all the tested strains had good performance on salt tolerance and lipid production. L. tetrasporus (NRRL Y-11562) gave the highest lipid titer of 12.79 g/L along with the depletion of both glucose and xylose, while Y. lipolytica (NRRL YB-437) showed the lowest lipid production and limited capability of xylose utilization. The key factors, including inoculation size, initial pH, and salt, all contributed to successful non-sterile fermentation. This study demonstrated that it is feasible to perform both sterile and non-sterile fermentation for lipid production using salt-containing lignocellulose-derived sugar streams.

Mechanistic insights into the effect of imidazolium ionic liquid on lipid production by Geotrichum fermentans

BACKGROUND

Ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment has emerged as a promising technique that enables complete utilization of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production. However, imidazolium IL has recently been shown to exhibit inhibitory effect on cell growth and product formation of industrial microbes, such as oleaginous microorganisms. To date, the mechanism of this inhibition remains largely unknown.

RESULTS

In this study, the feasibility of [Bmim][OAc]-pretreated rice straw hydrolysate as a substrate for microbial lipid production by Geotrichum fermentans, also known as Trichosporon fermentans, was evaluated. The residual [Bmim][OAc] present in the hydrolysate caused a reduction in biomass and lipid content (43.6 and 28.1%, respectively) of G. fermentans, compared with those of the control (7.8 g/L and 52.6%, respectively). Seven imidazolium ILs, [Emim][DEP], [Emim]Cl, [Amim]Cl, [Bmim]Cl, [Bzmim]Cl, [Emim][OAc], and [Bmim][OAc], capable of efficient pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass were tested for their effects on the cell growth and lipid accumulation of G. fermentans to better understand the impact of imidazolium IL on the lipid production. All the ILs tested inhibited the cell growth and lipid accumulation. In addition, both the cation and the anion of IL contributed to IL toxicity. The side chain of IL cations showed a clear impact on toxicity. On examining IL anions, [OAc]^- was found to be more toxic than those of [DEP]^- and Cl^-. IL exhibited its toxicity by inhibiting sugar consumption and key enzyme (malic enzyme and ATP-citrate lyase) activities of G. fermentans. Cell membrane permeability was also altered to different extents in the presence of various ILs. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that IL induces fibrous structure on the surface of G. fermentans cell, which might represent an adaptive mechanism of the yeast to IL.

CONCLUSIONS

This work gives some mechanistic insights into the impact of imidazolium IL on the cell growth and lipid accumulation of oleaginous yeast, which is important for IL integration in lignocellulosic biofuel production, especially for microbial lipid production.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Oleaginous Yeast Cryptococcus curvatus ATCC 20509

Cryptococcus curvatus ATCC 20509 is a commonly used nonmodel oleaginous yeast capable of converting a variety of carbon sources into fatty acids. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of this popular organism to provide a means for more in-depth studies of its fatty acid production potential.

Co-utilization of corn stover hydrolysates and biodiesel-derived glycerol by Cryptococcus curvatus for lipid production

In the present study, synergistic effects were observed when glycerol was co-fermented with glucose and xylose for lipid production by the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus. Glycerol was assimilated simultaneously with sugars at the beginning of the culture without adaption time. Furthermore, better lipid production results, i.e., lipid yield and lipid productivity of 18.0g/100g and 0.13g/L/h, respectively, were achieved when cells were cultured in blends of corn stover hydrolysates and biodiesel-derived glycerol than those in the hydrolysates alone. The lipid samples had fatty acid compositional profiles similar to those of vegetable oils, suggesting their potential for biodiesel production. This co-utilization strategy provides an extremely simple solution to advance lipid production from both lignocelluloses and biodiesel-derived glycerol in one step.

Bioconversion of glycerol into lipids by Rhodosporidium toruloides in a two-stage process and characterization of lipid properties

Rhodosporidium toruloides AS 2.1389 has been considered a promising oleaginous strain due to its flexible substrate adaptability, high lipid content, and coproduction of some pigments. In previous work, R. toruloides has shown good potential to directly convert crude glycerol into intracellular lipids. However, the difference in nutritional demand between cell growth and lipid accumulation was found to be a dilemma. Therefore, a glycerol-based two-stage process was proposed in the present work to separately meet the nutritional demand of both the cell proliferation phase and lipid accumulation phase. Factors that affect microbial conversion of glycerol into lipid were investigated, statistically analyzed, and optimized. As a result, 26.5 g L^-1 biomass with 10 g L^-1 lipid was obtained in the two-stage process. Lipid yield (0.20 g g^-1) and productivity (0.083 g L^-1 h^-1) achieved were significantly higher than the previously optimized batch culture. In R. toruloides lipids, the dominant fatty acid compositions are palmitic acid (28.5%), stearic acid (12.9%), oleic acid (41.3%), and linoleic acid (12.8%). Phospholipids accounts for 0.63% in total lipid. Lipase-catalyzed methanolysis could achieve up to 95% biodiesel yield. The characterization of R. toruloides lipid suggests its great application potential for biodiesel and specialty-type lipid products.

Co-fermentation of acetate and sugars facilitating microbial lipid production on acetate-rich biomass hydrolysates

The process of lignocellulosic biomass routinely produces a stream that contains sugars plus various amounts of acetic acid. As acetate is known to inhibit the culture of microorganisms including oleaginous yeasts, little attention has been paid to explore lipid production on mixtures of acetate and sugars. Here we demonstrated that the yeast Cryptococcus curvatus can effectively co-ferment acetate and sugars for lipid production. When mixtures of acetate and glucose were applied, C. curvatus consumed both substrates simultaneously. Similar phenomena were also observed for acetate and xylose mixtures, as well as acetate-rich corn stover hydrolysates. More interestingly, the replacement of sugar with equal amount of acetate as carbon source afforded higher lipid titre and lipid content. The lipid products had fatty acid compositional profiles similar to those of cocoa butter, suggesting their potential for high value-added fats and biodiesel production. This co-fermentation strategy should facilitate lipid production technology from lignocelluloses.

Microbial lipid production by oleaginous yeasts on Laminaria residue hydrolysates

Laminaria residues, major wastes from the kelp industry, can be effectively converted by oleaginous yeasts into microbial lipids as potential feedstock for biodiesel production.

Rapid ethanol production at elevated temperatures by engineered thermotolerant Kluyveromyces marxianus via the NADP(H)-preferring xylose reductase-xylitol dehydrogenase pathway

Conversion of xylose to ethanol by yeasts is a challenge because of the redox imbalances under oxygen-limited conditions. The thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus grows well with xylose as a carbon source at elevated temperatures, but its xylose fermentation ability is weak. In this study, a combination of the NADPH-preferring xylose reductase (XR) from Neurospora crassa and the NADP(+)-preferring xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) mutant from Scheffersomyces stipitis (Pichia stipitis) was constructed. The xylose fermentation ability and redox balance of the recombinant strains were improved significantly by over-expression of several downstream genes. The intracellular concentrations of coenzymes and the reduced coenzyme/oxidized coenzyme ratio increased significantly in these metabolic strains. The byproducts, such as glycerol and acetic acid, were significantly reduced by the disruption of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD1). The resulting engineered K. marxianus YZJ088 strain produced 44.95 g/L ethanol from 118.39 g/L xylose with a productivity of 2.49 g/L/h at 42 °C. Additionally, YZJ088 realized glucose and xylose co-fermentation and produced 51.43 g/L ethanol from a mixture of 103.97 g/L xylose and 40.96 g/L glucose with a productivity of 2.14 g/L/h at 42 °C. These promising results validate the YZJ088 strain as an excellent producer of ethanol from xylose through the synthetic xylose assimilation pathway.

Destructuring plant biomass: focus on fungal and extremophilic cell wall hydrolases

The use of plant biomass as feedstock for biomaterial and biofuel production is relevant in the current bio-based economy scenario of valorizing renewable resources. Fungi, which degrade complex and recalcitrant plant polymers, secrete different enzymes that hydrolyze plant cell wall polysaccharides. The present review discusses the current research trends on fungal, as well as extremophilic cell wall hydrolases that can withstand extreme physico-chemical conditions required in efficient industrial processes. Secretomes of fungi from the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota and Neocallimastigomycota are presented along with metabolic cues (nutrient sensing, coordination of carbon and nitrogen metabolism) affecting their composition. We conclude the review by suggesting further research avenues focused on the one hand on a comprehensive analysis of the physiology and epigenetics underlying cell wall degrading enzyme production in fungi and on the other hand on the analysis of proteins with unknown function and metagenomics of extremophilic consortia. The current advances in consolidated bioprocessing, altered secretory pathways and creation of designer plants are also examined. Furthermore, recent developments in enhancing the activity, stability and reusability of enzymes based on synergistic, proximity and entropic effects, fusion enzymes, structure-guided recombination between homologous enzymes and magnetic enzymes are considered with a view to improving saccharification.

Recycling microbial lipid production wastes to cultivate oleaginous yeasts

To reduce wastes and the costs of microbial lipid production, it is imperative to recycle resources, including spent cell mass, mineral nutrients and water. In the present study, lipid production by the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides was used as a model system to demonstrate resources recycling. It was found that the hydrolysates of spent cell mass were good media to support cell growth of various oleaginous yeasts. When serial repitching experiments were performed using 70g/L glucose and the hydrolysates alone as nutrients, it produced 16.6, 14.6 and 12.9g/L lipids, for three successive cycles, while lipid titre remained almost constant when spent water was also recycled. The cell mass hydrolysates could be used as equivalents to the mixture of yeast extract and peptone to support lipid production from corn stalk hydrolysates. Our results showed efficient recycling of lipid production wastes and should be helpful to advance microbial lipid technology.

Feasibility of raw glycerol conversion into single cell oil by zygomycetes under non-aseptic conditions

The use of plant oils as feedstock for the biodiesel manufacture has many drawbacks, thus, the interest has turned to single cell oil (SCO) as an alternative. However, the production of SCO is still too expensive, mainly due to the low oil productivity and the high cost of medium sterilization required. In this work raw glycerol was converted into SCO by oleaginous Zygomycetes under non-aseptic conditions on selective (i.e., containing essential oils and/or antibiotics) nitrogen limited media. The obtained data showed that although bacterial populations inhibited the fungal growth, lipid accumulation remained unaffected by the presence of bacteria in the growth medium compared to control experiments (conducted under aseptic conditions). Therefore, a two-stage process was developed in which growth was performed under aseptic conditions (1st stage) followed by lipid accumulation performed under non-aseptic conditions (2nd stage) in the presence of thyme essential oil as an antibacterial agent. Large amounts of lipids were accumulated inside the mycelia, yielding around 13% wt/wt of oil per glycerol consumed.

Microbial lipid-based lignocellulosic biorefinery: feasibility and challenges

Although single-cell oil (SCO) has been studied for decades, lipid production from lignocellulosic biomass has received substantial attention only in recent years as biofuel research moves toward producing drop-in fuels. This review gives an overview of the feasibility and challenges that exist in realizing microbial lipid production from lignocellulosic biomass in a biorefinery. The aspects covered here include biorefinery technologies, the microbial oil market, oleaginous microbes, lipid accumulation metabolism, strain development, process configurations, lignocellulosic lipid production, technical hurdles, lipid recovery, and technoeconomics. The lignocellulosic SCO-based biorefinery will be feasible only if a combination of low- and high-value lipids are coproduced, while lignin and protein are upgraded to high-value products.

Statistical design and optimization of single cell oil production from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate by an oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula sp. IIP-33 using response surface methodology

Single cell oil production from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate by oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula sp. IIP-33 was analyzed using a two stage statistical design approach based on Response Surface Methodology. Variables like pentose sugar, (NH4)2SO4, KH2PO4, yeast extract, pH and temperature were found to influence lipid production significantly. Under optimized condition in a shake flask, yield of lipid was 2.1199 g with fat coefficient of 7.09 which also resembled ~99% similarity to model predicted lipid production. In this paper we are presenting optimized results for production of non polar lipid which could be later deoxygenated into hydrocarbon. A qualitative analyses of selective lipid samples yielded a varying distribution of free acid ranging from C6 to C18, majoring C16:0, C18:0 and C18:1 under different fermentation conditions.

Developmental strategies and regulation of cell-free enzyme system for ethanol production: a molecular prospective

Most biomanufacturing systems developed for the production of biocommodities are based on whole-cell systems. However, with the advent of innovative technologies, the focus has shifted from whole-cell towards cell-free enzyme system. Since more than a century, researchers are using the cell-free extract containing the required enzymes and their respective cofactors in order to study the fundamental aspects of biological systems, particularly fermentation. Although yeast cell-free enzyme system is known since long ago, it is rarely been studied and characterized in detail. In this review, we hope to describe the major pitfalls encountered by whole-cell system and introduce possible solutions to them using cell-free enzyme systems. We have discussed the glycolytic and fermentative pathways and their regulation at both transcription and translational levels. Moreover, several strategies employed for development of cell-free enzyme system have been described with their potential merits and shortcomings associated with these developmental approaches. We also described in detail the various developmental approaches of synthetic cell-free enzyme system such as compartmentalization, metabolic channeling, protein fusion, and co-immobilization strategies. Additionally, we portrayed the novel cell-free enzyme technologies based on encapsulation and immobilization techniques and their development and commercialization. Through this review, we have presented the basics of cell-free enzyme system, the strategies involved in development and operation, and the advantages over conventional processes. Finally, we have addressed some potential directions for the future development and industrialization of cell-free enzyme system.

Oleaginous fungal lipid fermentation on combined acid- and alkali-pretreated corn stover hydrolysate for advanced biofuel production

A combined hydrolysis process, which first mixed dilute acid- and alkali-pretreated corn stover at a 1:1 (w/w) ratio, directly followed by enzymatic saccharification without pH adjustment, has been developed in this study in order to minimize the need of neutralization, detoxification, and washing during the process of lignocellulosic biofuel production. The oleaginous fungus Mortierella isabellina was selected and applied to the combined hydrolysate as well as a synthetic medium to compare fungal lipid accumulation and biodiesel production in both shake flask and 7.5L fermentor. Fungal cultivation on combined hydrolysate exhibited comparable cell mass and lipid yield with those from synthetic medium, indicating that the integration of combined hydrolysis with oleaginous fungal lipid fermentation has great potential to improve performance of advanced lignocellulosic biofuel production.

Selection of oleaginous yeasts with high lipid productivity for practical biodiesel production

The lipid-accumulating ability of 500 yeast strains isolated in Japan was evaluated. Primary screening revealed that 31 strains were identified as potential lipid producers, from which 12 strains were cultivated in a medium containing 3% glucose. It was found that JCM 24511 accumulated the highest lipid content, up to 61.53%, while JCM 24512 grew the fastest. They were tentatively identified as Cryptococcus sp. and Cryptococcus musci, respectively. The maximum lipid concentration of 1.49g/L was achieved by JCM 24512. Similarly, JCM 24511 also achieved a high lipid production of 1.37g/L. High lipid productivity is the most important characteristic of oleaginous yeasts from the viewpoint of practical production. Among the strains tested here, JCM 24512 had the best lipid productivity, 0.37g/L/day. The results show that the isolated yeasts could be promising candidates for biodiesel production.

Conversion of biomass-derived oligosaccharides into lipids

BACKGROUND

Oligocelluloses and oligoxyloses are partially hydrolyzed products from lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis. Biomass hydrolysates usually contain monosaccharides as well as various amounts of oligosaccharides. To utilize biomass hydrolysates more efficiently, it is important to identify microorganisms capable of converting biomass-derived oligosaccharides into biofuels or biochemicals.

RESULTS

We have demonstrated that the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus can utilize either oligocelluloses or oligoxyloses as sole carbon sources for microbial lipid production. When oligocelluloses were used, lipid content and lipid coefficient were 35.9% and 0.20 g/g consumed sugar, respectively. When oligoxyloses were used, lipid coefficient was 0.17 g/g consumed sugar. Ion chromatography analysis showed oligocelluloses with a degree of polymerization from 2 to 9 were assimilated. Our data suggested that these oligosaccharides were transported into cells and then hydrolyzed by cytoplasmic enzymes. Further analysis indicated that these enzymes were inducible by oligocelluloses. Lipid production on cellulose by C. curvatus using the simultaneous saccharification and lipid production process in the absence of cellobiase achieved essentially identical results to that in the presence of cellobiase, suggesting that oligocelluloses generated in situ were utilized with high efficiency. This study has provided inspiring information for oligosaccharides utilization, which should facilitate biorefinery based on lignocellulosic biomass.

CONCLUSIONS

C. curvatus can directly utilize biomass-derived oligosaccharides. Oligocelluloses are transported into the cells and then hydrolyzed by cytoplasmic enzymes. A simultaneous saccharification and lipid production process can be conducted without oligocelluloses accumulation in the absence of cellobiase by C. curvatus, which could reduce the enzyme costs.

Lipid production from corn stover by the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus

BACKGROUND

Microbial lipids produced from lignocellulosic biomass hold great promise for the biodiesel industry. These lipids usually consist of three major processes: pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and lipid production. However, the conventional strategy of using biomass hydrolysates as the feedstock for lipid production suffers from low lipid coefficient and prohibitively high costs. More cost-effective and integrated processes are required to advance lignocellulosic biomass-based microbial lipid technology.

RESULTS

Three different strategies were tested using the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus ATCC 20509 as a lipid producer and alkaline-pretreated corn stover as a model material. It was found that the separate hydrolysis and enhanced lipid production process required more cellulolytic enzymes yet afforded a low lipid coefficient of 115.6 mg/g pretreated corn stover. When biomass hydrolysis and lipid production were integrated, the amounts of cellulase and xylanase were reduced and no β-glucosidase was required. The simultaneous saccharification and lipid production process gave a lipid coefficient of 129.4 mg/g pretreated corn stover. A higher lipid coefficient of 159.4 mg/g pretreated corn stover was obtained using the simultaneous saccharification and enhanced lipid production (SSELP) process. Furthermore, cellulolytic enzymes were found recoverable and reusable upon recycling the spent supernatants of the SSELP process, which could reduce enzyme consumption and wastewater discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The SSELP process was superior to other processes in terms of converting alkaline-pretreated corn stover into lipids by C. curvatus, as it required less cellulolytic enzymes and had a higher lipid coefficient. Moreover, the process facilitated easy enzyme recycling that should lead to further reduction of enzyme consumption. These results provide valuable information for cost-effective lipid production from lignocelluloses, which should be particularly important in achieving a sustainable production of biodiesel.