Researchers Discover Two New Species Of Oil-Forming Yeast

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Not all yeasts are created equally. Unlike the yeast used by bakers and beer brewers for converting sugars to carbon dioxide and fermentation, oleaginous yeasts convert sugars from inedible biomass into fats and oils.

A research group jointly led by Kyoto University and Ryukoku University has discovered two new species of oil-forming yeast in the soil of Shiga Prefecture. Published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, their study also examines the relationship between the prefecture's diverse climate and microbial ecology.

"We are gauging the potential benefits of applying oleaginous yeast to sustainable oil and fat production through isolation technology, particularly in reducing carbon dioxide emissions," says team leader and first author Ayumi Tanimura of KyotoU's Society Academia Collaboration for Innovation.

The discovery of two species-Hannaella oleicumulans, named after its oil-accumulating properties, and Hannaella higashiohmiensis from Higashiomi City-suggest the high potential of microbial resources in this region. They join the roughly 160 species of known oil yeast, including the previously known Lipomyces starkeyi, Rhodotorula toruloides, and Yarrowia lipolytica.

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