Publications by authors named "Tabea Helm"
Article Synopsis
- Crude glycerol, a by-product of the biodiesel industry, has potential for valorisation through microbial upcycling, particularly for producing itaconate using the smut fungus Ustilago maydis.
- A highly engineered strain demonstrated successful itaconate production from glycerol, with adaptive laboratory evolution enhancing growth rates by 72%.
- The process was optimized for larger scales using molasses, resulting in competitive yields and lower production costs, while minimizing the carbon footprint.
In this work, we established an efficient process for the production of itaconate from the regionally sourced industrial side-stream molasses using Ustilago cynodontis and Ustilago maydis. While being relatively cheap and more environmentally friendly than refined sugars, there are some major challenges to overcome when working with molasses. Some of those challenges are a high nitrogen load, unknown impurities in the feedstock, and high amounts of ill-favoured carbon sources, such as sucrose or lactate.
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