Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbial Metabolism, Physiology & Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (21 January 2024) | Viewed by 24365

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Interests: yeast; biofuels; bioremediation; biotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Yeasts have been demonstrated as microfactories for producing a wide range of bioactive compounds useful for industrial applications (biofuels, foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, etc.). They easily grow on various carbon sources present in waste hydrolysates of agro-industrial origin, thereby facilitating cost-effective and environmentally friendly production. Various innovations in this area via the metabolic engineering of certain yeast strains and the statistical optimization of fermentation protocols have shown promising results for enhanced production. This Research Topic will include various articles contributing to yeast metabolites and the innovative optimization of fermentation protocols for the sustainable production of bioactive products and/or biofuels (aviation fuels, biodiesel, bioethanol, etc.).

Biotechnological advances in yeast research, especially for the production of high-value compounds such as terpenoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, esters, etc., have gained great interest in recent years as the market for synthetic chemicals has loosened its hold globally, paving the way for natural, non-toxic products. Both conventional and non-conventional yeast research have gained momentum in recent years, and therefore this topic is timely and will attract the interest of many readers.

Dr. Debarati Paul
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • biofuels
  • fermentation
  • engineering
  • cost-effective production

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (8 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 481 KiB  
Editorial
Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels
by Debarati Paul
Fermentation 2024, 10(9), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10090451 - 30 Aug 2024
Viewed by 736
Abstract
Demands for bioenergy resources, nutraceuticals, biofertilizers, and other industrially important chemicals have escalated globally due to rapid urbanization, industrialization, and a growing awareness about bio-based, environment-friendly products [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

16 pages, 3100 KiB  
Article
Strategies for Recovery, Purification and Quantification of Torularhodin Produced by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa Using Different Carbon Sources
by Yi Zeng, Rui Wang, Jiaqian Liang, Huixin Zhang, Junjie Yi and Zhijia Liu
Fermentation 2023, 9(9), 846; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9090846 - 15 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1992
Abstract
Torularhodin is a fungus-derived carotenoid, and the lack of downstream processing of torularhodin is still a challenge for its large-scale production. To support the industrial production of torularhodin, this work initially evaluated the efficiency of carotenoid release from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa using thermal acid [...] Read more.
Torularhodin is a fungus-derived carotenoid, and the lack of downstream processing of torularhodin is still a challenge for its large-scale production. To support the industrial production of torularhodin, this work initially evaluated the efficiency of carotenoid release from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa using thermal acid treatment, saponification and ultrasound-assisted enzymatic lysis. Based on the polarity, torularhodin was then purified using methanol/acetone/hexane (2/2/1, v/v/v) solution eluting from a silica cartridge. Thermal acid treatment was considered the most appropriate method for total carotenoid release and torularhodin recovery. The highest carotenoid content was 121.3 ± 7.0 μg/g dry cell weight and 63.0 ± 6.1% of torularhodin (50.5 ± 3.0 μg/g dry cell weight in total) was recovered after purification. To fast quantify the content of torularhodin extracted from yeast, the absorption coefficient (E1cm1% = 3342) of torularhodin dissolved in chloroform was assayed. With the developed strategy for torularhodin recovery, purification and quantification, the potential of this yeast to produce torularhodin using xylose and glycerol was further evaluated. It was found that carbon sources may influence the proportion of carotenoids in this yeast, but torularhodin was still the dominant pigment. The results obtained in this study identified the feasibility of sustainable production of torularhodin from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa with high efficiency and purity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

17 pages, 2564 KiB  
Article
Highly Efficient Biosynthesis of γ-Bisabolene with a New Sesquiterpene Synthase AcTPS5 by Dual Cytoplasmic-Peroxisomal Engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
by Jiajia Liu, Ge Yao, Xiukun Wan, Fuli Wang, Penggang Han, Shaoheng Bao, Kang Wang, Tianyu Song and Hui Jiang
Fermentation 2023, 9(9), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9090779 - 22 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1910
Abstract
γ-bisabolene is a monocyclic sesquiterpene with various biological activities; it has also been approved as a food additive. Additionally, the hydrogenated form of bisabolene is considered as a potential alternative to D2 diesel. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has the ability to produce a large [...] Read more.
γ-bisabolene is a monocyclic sesquiterpene with various biological activities; it has also been approved as a food additive. Additionally, the hydrogenated form of bisabolene is considered as a potential alternative to D2 diesel. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has the ability to produce a large amount of acetyl-CoA in both cytosol and peroxisomes, which serves as a precursor in terpene biosynthesis. In this study, AcTPS5 was identified as a new γ-bisabolene synthase. By expressing AcTPS5 and the mevalonate pathway in peroxisomes, γ-bisabolene titer was achieved at 125.0 mg/L. Deleting the peroxisome autophagy gene atg36 further improved γ-bisabolene production to 216.9 mg/L. The implementation of dual cytoplasmic–peroxisomal engineering further boosted γ-bisabolene production to 296.4 mg/L. Finally, through increasing the acetyl-CoA supply and down-regulating the expression of ERG9, γ-bisabolene production was achieved at 584.14 mg/L in shake-flask fermentation and 2.69 g/L in fed-batch fermentation, which is the highest reported production of γ-bisabolene to date. The strategy presented in this study provides an efficient approach for terpene production in S. cerevisiae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2370 KiB  
Article
Production of 2,3-Butanediol by S. cerevisiae L7 in Fed-Batch Fermentation with Optimized Culture Conditions
by Guoxu Ao, Shanshan Sun, Lei Liu, Yuhao Guo, Xiujun Tu, Jingping Ge and Wenxiang Ping
Fermentation 2023, 9(7), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9070694 - 24 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1348
Abstract
As a chemical platform, 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) has been widely applied in various industrial fields. In this study, to enhance the production of 2,3-BD by Saccharomyces cerevisiae L7, Plackett–Burman (PB) multifactorial design, the steepest climb test and central composite design (CCD) were employed to [...] Read more.
As a chemical platform, 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) has been widely applied in various industrial fields. In this study, to enhance the production of 2,3-BD by Saccharomyces cerevisiae L7, Plackett–Burman (PB) multifactorial design, the steepest climb test and central composite design (CCD) were employed to optimize the culturing conditions of S. cerevisiae L7. The results show that acetic acid, peptone and glucose were contributing factors for 2,3-BD production. Subsequently, a satisfactory production of 2,3-BD (13.52 ± 0.12 g/L) was reached under optimal conditions, which was 3.12 times higher than before optimization. Furthermore, fed-batch fermentation was carried out under optimized culture conditions, and a higher production and yield efficiency of 2,3-BD were achieved (21.83 ± 0.56 g/L and 0.15 ± 0.01 g/g, respectively) when glucose (20 g/L) and acetic acid (0.2 g/L) were added at 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 h. Therefore, the production and yield efficiency of 2,3-BD were higher than those without fed-batch fermentation (61.46% and 58.51%, respectively). These results provide good support and a technical foundation for the large-scale industrial production of 2,3-BD by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4622 KiB  
Article
Improving Expression of Pepsinogen A from Homo sapiens in Aspergillus niger by Using a Multi-Copy Gene Knock-in Strategy
by Jie Chen, Ling Gui, Boyu Chen, Yuang Sun, Yongcan Zhao, Fuping Lu and Ming Li
Fermentation 2023, 9(6), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9060538 - 31 May 2023
Viewed by 1572
Abstract
Pepsinogen A (PGA) plays an important role in the treatment of human gastrointestinal diseases. At present, PGA is mainly extracted from pig stomach, so its source is very limited and its price is very expensive. Production of PGA by microbial fermentation using an [...] Read more.
Pepsinogen A (PGA) plays an important role in the treatment of human gastrointestinal diseases. At present, PGA is mainly extracted from pig stomach, so its source is very limited and its price is very expensive. Production of PGA by microbial fermentation using an engineered strain with high PGA yield would be an ideal solution. This paper presents a new system for the high-level expression of PGA from Homo sapiens (hPGA) in Aspergillus niger. The hPGA5 gene codon was optimized according to the codon bias of A. niger and then connected to a strong promoter and signal peptide to construct an hPGA5 expression cassette. An ingenious multi-copy knock-in expression strategy mediated by the CRISPR/Cas9 tool was used to improve the production of hPGA in A. niger. By optimizing the copy number and integration sites of the hPGA5 gene, an engineering strain with a high yield of hPGA was constructed. After shake-flask fermentation for 7 d, the enzyme activity of recombinant hPGA reached 542.3 U/mL, which is the highest known activity. This lays a foundation for the production of hPGA by microbial fermentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2150 KiB  
Article
Effect of Short-Chain Fatty Acids on the Yield of 2,3-Butanediol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae W141: The Synergistic Effect of Acetic Acid and Dissolved Oxygen
by Jiaxin Liu, Shanshan Sun, Yangcun Sun, Dean Liu, Jie Kang, Zeming Ye, Gang Song and Jingping Ge
Fermentation 2023, 9(3), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9030236 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1470
Abstract
As a platform chemical, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) has been widely used in various industrial fields. To improve the yield of 2,3-BDO produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae W141, this paper explored the effects of exogenous short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as well as the synergistic effects of [...] Read more.
As a platform chemical, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) has been widely used in various industrial fields. To improve the yield of 2,3-BDO produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae W141, this paper explored the effects of exogenous short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as well as the synergistic effects of acetic acid and dissolved oxygen content on the yield of 2,3-BDO from the perspective of physiological metabolism. The results indicated that different SCFAs had different effects on the production of 2,3-BDO, and higher or lower concentrations of SCFAs were not conducive to the generation of 2,3-BDO. However, exogenically adding 1.0 g/L acetic acid significantly increased the yield of 2,3-BDO and the expression level of bdh1, a key gene in the synthesis of 2,3-BDO (p < 0.05). In addition, a dissolved oxygen concentration of 4.52 mg/L was proven to be the optimal condition for 2,3-BDO production. When the dissolved oxygen content and acetic acid concentration were 4.52 mg/L and 1.0 g/L, respectively, the maximum yield of 2,3-BDO was 3.25 ± 0.03 g/L, which was 66.59% higher than that produced by S. cerevisiae W141 alone. These results provide methodological guidance for the industrial production of 2,3-BDO by S. cerevisiae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

20 pages, 790 KiB  
Review
Yeast-Mediated Biomass Valorization for Biofuel Production: A Literature Review
by Vishal Ahuja, Anju Arora, Shikha Chauhan, Sheetal Thakur, Christine Jeyaseelan and Debarati Paul
Fermentation 2023, 9(9), 784; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9090784 - 24 Aug 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5605
Abstract
The European Union has recommended that about 10–50% of the global energy requirement should be supplemented by waste biomass resources by 2050 in order to achieve the objective of having net-zero-emission economies. This has led to intensive research being conducted on developing appropriate [...] Read more.
The European Union has recommended that about 10–50% of the global energy requirement should be supplemented by waste biomass resources by 2050 in order to achieve the objective of having net-zero-emission economies. This has led to intensive research being conducted on developing appropriate biofuel production technologies using advanced or integrated systems to tackle local, national, and global energy challenges using waste feedstock. Researchers have realized the potential of microbes (e.g., yeast strains) for bioenergy production. For this paper, both non-oleaginous and oleaginous yeasts were reviewed, with a specific focus being placed on their diversity in metabolism and tolerance to the various challenges that arise from the use of waste feedstock and influence bioprocessing. Gathering in-depth knowledge and information on yeast metabolism has paved the way for newer and better technologies to employ them for consolidated biorefineries to not only produce biofuels but also to cut down process expenses and decrease the risks of net carbon emissions. The rationale for using yeast strains improved by metabolic engineering and genetic manipulation that can substantially meet the challenges of alternate fuel resources is also described in this paper. This literature review presents the advantages and disadvantages of yeast-based biofuel production and highlights the advancements in technologies and how they contrast to conventional methods. Over the last decade, scientific publications have endorsed the idea of biorefineries for environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable biofuel production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1494 KiB  
Review
Bioethanol Production Based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Opportunities and Challenges
by Hongyang Zhang, Pengcheng Zhang, Tao Wu and Haihua Ruan
Fermentation 2023, 9(8), 709; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9080709 - 26 Jul 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 8488
Abstract
The large consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels has brought about energy depletion and environmental pollution, spawning the production of renewable biofuels, an important alternative to alleviate the energy crisis effectively. As one of the ideal types of biofuel, bioethanol synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [...] Read more.
The large consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels has brought about energy depletion and environmental pollution, spawning the production of renewable biofuels, an important alternative to alleviate the energy crisis effectively. As one of the ideal types of biofuel, bioethanol synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has attracted much attention. S. cerevisiae has been developed as essential chassis cells with high efficiency for bioethanol synthesis on account of many advantages. This study systematically summarized the preponderance of S. cerevisiae in biosynthesis. It objectively stated the research strategies of bioethanol synthesis based on S. cerevisiae and the existing bottleneck problems. This study further proposed reasonable prospects for bioethanol synthesis by S. cerevisiae, attempting to provide alternative research strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Yeast for the Production of Biochemicals and Biofuels)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop