Functional lipid production by biorefinery system

Biorefinery technology is a useful means of establishing a sustainable society by producing useful substances from waste and unused resources. Our focus has been on marine microorganisms of the genus Aurantiochytrium. These microorganisms produce large amounts of highly bioactive polyunsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids, as well as long-chain fatty acids and hydrocarbons that can be used as raw materials for chemicals and fuels. We aim to apply these microorganisms to biorefinery technology. Thus far, we have developed new technologies to utilize food industry waste products, such as canned syrup, shochu lees, and bagasse (sugarcane residue), as well as marine macroalgae, such as kelp, and even carbon dioxide emitted from power generation and factories, as raw materials. Additionally, we have improved microorganisms by applying advanced technologies, such as genome editing, and are planning to generate breeding strains suitable for biorefinery technology. This talk provides an overview of these efforts and discusses future prospects.