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Developing a Yarrowia lipolytica platform for conversion of mannitol-containing waste streams
Angela R Gordillo Sierra1, Sangdo Yook1, Sarah Coleman1
1McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 200 E Dean Keeton St., Austin, TX 78712 USA.
Bioresource Technology
|August 20, 2025
Summary
Yarrowia lipolytica strains evolved for mannitol assimilation show significantly improved growth and lipid production. These engineered yeasts efficiently convert waste streams like olive mill wastewater into valuable biochemicals.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microbial Engineering
- Industrial Microbiology
Background:
- Yarrowia lipolytica is a promising yeast for bioconversion but struggles with mannitol assimilation.
- Mannitol is a key carbon source in olive mill wastewater (OMWW), a challenging substrate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance Y. lipolytica's ability to assimilate mannitol.
- To improve lipid production from OMWW using engineered strains.
Main Methods:
- Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) under mannitol-exclusive conditions.
- Integrative genetic (whole-genome sequencing) and transcriptomic analyses.
- Cultivation in OMWW-derived media.
Main Results:
- Achieved up to 22-fold increase in mannitol assimilation and growth.
- Identified a key mutation (STA1 A403T) enhancing growth.
- Observed metabolic shift favoring energy mobilization over lipid storage.
- Evolved strains produced 2x higher lipids and reduced COD by 90% in OMWW.
Conclusions:
- ALE successfully enhanced Y. lipolytica's mannitol assimilation and lipid production.
- Metabolic engineering via ALE offers a pathway for waste valorization.
- Evolved strains show potential for sustainable biochemical production from OMWW.
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