Simonaviciene Brigita, Araoyinbo Ayokunle, Ali Juwayria, McGowan Jamie, Fitzpatrick David A, Jones Gary, Ferreira Celia, Pitt Andrew R, Spickett Corinne M, Postis Vincent, de Marcos Lousa Carine
Centre for Biomedical Science Research, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Biomedical Sciences, Leeds, LS13HE, UK.
Centre for Plant Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS29JT, UK.
Biotechnol Biofuels Bioprod. 2025 Jul 18;18(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s13068-025-02671-0.
Waste valorisation refers to processes of reusing or recycling waste materials to create valuable products. In the Rum distillery industry, the primary waste byproducts include bagasse, a solid waste made up of sugar cane residue and vinasse, a thick and acidic liquid. Although vinasse has been repurposed in agricultural fields, it has also contributed to both soil and ocean pollution. Despite several potential solutions having been suggested, an effective and environmentally safe use for vinasse has yet to be found.
The valorisation of vinasse for biofuel production was explored by assessing its potential as a growth medium for lipid production by non-conventional yeasts. The oleaginous yeast strain Yarrowia lipolytica, known for its lipid production capabilities, was initially tested on vinasse but required further adaptation and optimization. To circumvent this, we isolated a novel yeast strain from old vinasse waste, named V1, which demonstrated strong growth potential. The growth conditions of V1, including temperature and acidity, were characterized, and its potential for bioengineering was evaluated. This strain exhibited resistance to highly acidic pH levels and higher temperatures when cultivated on YPV, an artificial laboratory medium designed to mimic the acidity and glycerol content of vinasse. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) identified V1 as Pichia kudriavzevii. We demonstrated that V1 could be transformed with Yarrowia lipolytica vectors using the classical yeast heat shock protocol, thus enabling potential genetic engineering. Finally, lipid content in V1 was analysed in different conditions, confirming the strain's potential for biofuel production.
Pichia kudriavzevii is not a traditional yeast, but its ability to adapt and grow under extreme pH and higher temperature conditions makes it a promising candidate for rum industry waste management applications. This strain could potentially be utilised to convert vinasse and other food waste products into valuable biofuels. Although further research is required to engineer and optimize this novel strain for vinasse cultivation, our findings highlight its great potential as a micro-factory in rum-producing regions and high locations, where agricultural waste is in need of valorisation solutions.
废物增值是指将废料再利用或回收以制造有价值产品的过程。在朗姆酒酿造行业，主要的废物副产品包括甘蔗渣（一种由甘蔗残渣组成的固体废物）和酒糟（一种浓稠的酸性液体）。尽管酒糟已在农业领域得到重新利用，但它也造成了土壤和海洋污染。尽管已经提出了几种潜在的解决方案，但尚未找到一种有效且对环境安全的酒糟利用方式。
通过评估酒糟作为非常规酵母生产脂质的生长培养基的潜力，探索了酒糟用于生物燃料生产的增值方法。产油酵母菌株解脂耶氏酵母以其脂质生产能力而闻名，最初在酒糟上进行了测试，但需要进一步适应和优化。为了规避这一问题，我们从陈旧的酒糟废料中分离出一种新型酵母菌株，命名为V1，它表现出很强的生长潜力。对V1的生长条件，包括温度和酸度进行了表征，并评估了其生物工程潜力。当在YPV（一种旨在模拟酒糟酸度和甘油含量的人工实验室培养基）上培养时，该菌株表现出对高酸性pH水平和较高温度的抗性。全基因组测序（WGS）将V1鉴定为库德里阿兹威毕赤酵母。我们证明，使用经典的酵母热休克方案，V1可以用解脂耶氏酵母载体进行转化，从而实现潜在的基因工程。最后，在不同条件下分析了V1中的脂质含量，证实了该菌株在生物燃料生产方面的潜力。
库德里阿兹威毕赤酵母不是传统酵母，但其在极端pH和较高温度条件下适应和生长的能力使其成为朗姆酒行业废物管理应用的有前途的候选者。该菌株有可能被用于将酒糟和其他食品废料转化为有价值的生物燃料。尽管需要进一步研究对这种新型菌株进行工程改造和优化以用于酒糟培养，但我们的研究结果突出了其作为朗姆酒生产地区和高海拔地区微型工厂的巨大潜力，这些地区的农业废料需要增值解决方案。
