ARS | Publication request: Microbial production of glycolipids from lipids and related feedstock

Submitted to: Society of Industrial Microbiology Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 2, 2007
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Glycolipids are secondary metabolites produced by many microorganisms. They are environmentally "green" compounds useful as biosurfactants, cosmetic active-ingredients, antimicrobial agents, and enhancers for bioremediation and oil recovery operations. There is a need, however, to lower the cost of producing these microbial products. Surplus agricultural lipids and related coproducts such as soy molasses and the glycerol-rich biodiesel coproduct stream (BCS) are low-cost fermentative feedstocks that can help lower the production cost of microbial glycolipids. In this talk, we will present our work on the production of sophorolipids from Candida bombicola using fats, oils, BCS and soy molasses as feedstocks. Our data show that high productivity and structural variation of sophorolipids can be achieved when these agro-based feedstocks are used as substrates in the fermentation process. The expected outcome of this work is lower cost sophorolipids with structural properties suitable for specifically targeted applications to benefit the consumer public.