MIT engineers reprogram yeast to convert sugars to fats more efficiently

February 14, 2017 |

In Massachusetts, MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel.

The researchers modified the metabolic pathways of yeast that naturally produce large quantities of lipids, to make them about 30 percent more efficient. This upgrade could make the production of renewable high-energy fuels economically feasible, and the MIT team is now working on additional improvements that would help get even closer to that goal.

Category: Research

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