Advances in Engineering Strategies for Enhanced Production of Lipid in Rhodosporidium sp. from Lignocellulosics and Other Carbon Sources

Abstract

Over the past few years, Rhodosporidium sp. has received a great amount of interest due to its ability to accumulate 50–70% lipid of their total dry cell weight. In addition, Rhodosporidium sp. has also been demonstrated to thrive on multiple carbon sources such as hexoses and pentoses, which made them the potential candidate for lipid production using mixed carbon sources. Despite these advantages, the feasibility of Rhodosporidium sp. as a biofuel producer is still questionable. Many strategies were developed for improving the lipid production in this strain. Genetic engineering also allowed the researchers to increase the tolerance to inhibitors and to enhance the consumption of carbon sources form lignocellulosic biomass. This chapter systematically presents the engineering strategies that have been employed for strain improvement and highlighted the potential of Rhodosporidium as a biotechnological chassis. The prospect has been further discussed, and needs of the engineering strategies and the recommendations for future research are also elaborated.