Extraction of Total Fatty Acids from Ustilago maydis

The utilization of microbial single-cell oils has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional plant oils, offering the potential to enhance sustainability and land efficiency in oil production. The natural accumulation of lipid droplets in Ustilago maydis suggests its potential as a suitable host for lipid production. Here, a refined method for the total fatty acid extraction from U. maydis is described. The method provides efficient cell disruption and high-purity fatty acid extracts suitable for lipid profiling via gas chromatography.