Optimizing the lipid profile, to produce either a palm oil or biodiesel substitute, by manipulation of the culture conditions for Rhodotorula glutinis

Abstract

Background: Lipids are an increasingly important chemical feedstock for the manufacture of biofuels, bioplastics, care products and as a food source. Developing sustainable sources of lipids, derived from oleaginous microbes, is therefore a key scientific challenge. Methodology: Design of Experiments was used to optimize the lipid production and lipid profile. Results: Here we successfully apply Design of Experiments to optimize the lipid profile in Rhodotorula glutinis to tailor the fatty acid profile. A high culture temperature and high nitrogen ratio yielded a mainly monounsaturated oil, while low temperatures and high glucose loadings gave a more saturated profile. Conclusions: On transesterification, the oil high in monounsaturated esters yielded biodiesel with fuel properties akin to rapeseed methyl ester, whereas the oil high in saturates was found to be suitable as a substitute for palm oil.

Supplementary data

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Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors would like to acknowledge the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Swindon, UK) for funding various aspects of this work, through the Doctoral Training Centre at the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies, to S Nash from the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. (Leiden, The Netherlands) for her input into the project and their further financial support, and R Whorrod for his kind endowment to the University resulting in the Whorrod Fellowship in Sustainable Chemical Technologies held by the corresponding author. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.