Glycolipid biosurfactant production from renewable feedstocks

Abstract: One of the significant barriers to sustainable production of biofuel and biomaterial from renewable systems remains the high costs
that limit large-scale production of these compounds. Few sophorolipid-producing yeasts possess the ability to grow in fermentation
systems using carbon substrates derived from inexpensive lignocellulosic biomass. Simultaneously, these organisms can secrete
renewable and eco-friendly glycolipids with important physico-chemical properties, and multiple biological and industrial applications.
In this study, comparative analyses between different cellulose-derived carbon sources confirmed the ability of P. bogoriensis to grow
and accumulate glycolipids using these substrates. Analytical analyses using various chromatography methods confirmed the
chemical profiles, whereas both monoacetylated and diacetylated sophorolipid forms with C22 long-chain hydroxy fatty acid were
identified in all glycolipid extracts. Furthermore, availability of the yeast genome sequences facilitated the identification of putative
genes that may be involved in cellulose hydrolysis (e.g., cellulase-like), whereas the phenotyping studies were used to functionally
validate the yeast’s genome annotation. Information on genomic and metabolic pathways is a prerequisite for trait improvement
towards increasing the production of high value chemicals.