
Engineered Yeast Converts Methanol to D-lactic Acid
April 9, 2025 |
A study conducted by researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University reveals how yeast can be genetically engineered to produce D-lactic acid from methanol. The findings of the study, published in Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts, offer an alternative approach to reduce reliance on petroleum-based processes.
Lactic acid is an organic compound that comes in two forms, L-lactic acid and D-lactic acid, and is used in many applications in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and bioplastics. While L-lactic acid is widely available, D-lactic acid remains costly and less accessible, despite its key role in producing biodegradable plastics and pharmaceutical products.
The research team aimed to improve D-lactic acid production by using Komagataella phaffii, a yeast that metabolizes methanol. They tested various combinations of D-lactate dehydrogenase (D-LDH) genes and promoters in K. phaffii to enhance the efficiency of yeast. According to the lead author, Ryosuke Yamada, the engineered yeast produced 1.5 times more D-lactic acid than other methanol-based methods, achieving the highest yield ever reported using methanol as the sole carbon source.
For more information, read the article from Osaka Metropolitan University.
|
You might also like:
- Engineered Red Yeast Converts Forestry Waste into Valuable Fatty Acid
- Experts Develop Engineered Yeast with Increased Healthy Fatty Acid
- Genetically Engineered Probiotic Yeast Produces Beta-Carotene
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
Plant
- Treating NGTs as Conventional Products May Improve Market Acceptance
- Improved Maize Varieties Boost Yields and Farm Income
- New Technique to Unlock Sorghum's Huge Climate Change Potential
- Switzerland Drafts New Law on NBTs
- First Skin-Transplant Potato Gets Plant Breeder's Rights in The Netherlands
-
Health
- Experts Develop COVID-19 Vaccine from Rice
-
Environment
- Engineered Yeast Converts Methanol to D-lactic Acid
- Experts Review Crop Pests' Responses to Climate and Land Management Changes
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet