Microbial lipids production by Yarrowia lipolytica W29 from eucalyptus bark hydrolysate

Abstract

Eucalyptus bark hydrolysate (EBH) is an abundant and renewable source of fermentable sugars for microbial lipids production. However, microorganisms need to be tolerant to antimicrobial compounds present in these type-hydrolysates and formed during lignocellulosic biomass processing. The ability of Y. lipolytica W29 to grow and produce lipids in undetoxified and undiluted EBH was evaluated in stirred tank bioreactor. The effect of medium composition and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient on biomass and lipids production was also studied. A final biomass concentration of 21.8 gL-1 and 26 % (w/w) of lipids (5.6 gL-1) were obtained at optimum conditions (2 gL-1 corn steep liquor supplementation and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient of 66 h-1). Yarrowia lipolytica W29 demonstrated robust characteristics to be used as a platform for lipids production into a lignocellulose-based biorefinery bioprocess.