Utilization of volative fatty acids for waxes biosynthesis by the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

Research project objectives/hyphotesesEnvironmental and economic aspects of modern processes require cheap and renewable raw materials not competing with the food industry. A promising substrates for microbial oil production are volatile fatty acids (VFA), a short-chain acids containing 2 - 6 carbon atoms, produced by anaerobic fermentation of waste from the wood industry, sewage treatment plants and various biodegradable organic waste, including municipal wastes. The large amounts of these wastes, causes a deterioration in the quality of surface and groundwater and contributes to the formation of unpleasant odors. Although VFA were already applied for lipid biosynthesis by Yarrowia lipolytica, their metabolism was not yet investigated and characterized.Waxes, esters of a fatty acid and a fatty alcohol, are diverse class of hydrophobic compounds. Natural waxes are produced by plants and animals and occur in petroleum. Waxes are ingredients of lubricants, additives to automatic transmission fluid in cars, additives to many cosmetic products - lotions and moisturizers, hair shampoos and conditioners. Animal waxes were obtained mostly from sperm whale, what almost caused the extinction of these animals. The current alternative is their production using jojoba seeds. However, the demand for wax biosynthesis exceeds the supply. Due to that, alternative methods of their production are highly desirable.Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop new promising pathway to produce waxes by Y. lipolytica using volatile fatty acids (VFA).