Cost Effective Production of Healthy and Sustainable Oils and Fats

Member: University of Delaware, Zero Acre Farms

Project dates: 2023 - 2024

Through this project, members engineered oleaginous yeast strains and tested downstream processing methods to produce single-cell oil at higher yield and lower cost. Researchers created a genome scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library focused on achieving lysis susceptibility in Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus. This library allowed researchers to build and implement a screening process to quickly screen and assess ideal candidates for improved lysis and oil production using free oil measurement protocols provided as member resources. In addition, researchers explored RNAi as a more subtle knockdown vs knockout strategy toward improving lysis for cell wall components. Strain engineering combined with homogenization resulted in a 50% decrease in manufacturing costs from the initial technoeconomic analysis estimates. Oils produced from fermentation can help build domestic supply chains for lubricants, surfactants, and more. These oils can also be tailored for nutrition to extend warfighter readiness by reducing inflammation and recovery time. The technology developed through this project improves production metrics and reduces costs for intracellular recovery of critical materials.  

Members can access resources from this project in the Member Portal, including:  

  • Hexane Top Layer Protocol 

  • Total Oil Gravimetric Analysis Standard Operating Procedure  

  • Free Oil Gravimetric Analysis Standard Operating Procedure  

Funding source: U.S. Department of Defense

Access Members-Only Resources Here