Lipid-based Biofuels

Yeast was the first microbial host used by mankind for biotransformation of raw materials, and it marked the early developments of industrial biotechnology. Initially, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and closely related species were used because of their high fermentative capacity and based on the vast experience from alcoholic beverage production. While a high fermentation rate is favorable for the production of bioethanol and other primary metabolites, it implicates disadvantages for growth-coupled production. Consequently, a number of other yeasts have been developed for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, lipids, or recombinant proteins. 

The oleaginous nature of microalgae allows them to biosynthesize lipids with a commercial interest for biofuel, nutritional supplements, and pharmaceutical applications. Generating biodiesel, bioethanol, and bio jet fuel from microalgae as a replacement for their fossil fuel-based coxmterparts has been an ongoing quest since the early 1960s and has been explored in... 

---