12-04: Towards commercialization of biofuels made from cellulosic feedstocks: engineering xylose utilization and isoprenoid production in S. cerevisiae

Amyris, a synthetic biology company dedicated to providing high-performing alternatives to petroleum-sourced fuels and chemicals, has been developing technology to support a national biofuels industry.  Amyris’ technology platform centers on the fermentation of sugars by yeast to produce a class of hydrocarbons known as isoprenoids.  These isoprenoids serve as the basis for a range of petroleum replacement products, including advanced biofuels, lubricants, and polymers, as well as renewable cosmetics, flavors, and fragrances.  The work presented here describes Amyris’ progress on the fermentation of ligno-cellulosic sugars as part of the DOE funded National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC).

The goal of the NABC project at Amyris is to develop the technical ability, and assess the commercial feasibility, of the fermentation of cellulosic hydrolysates to isoprenoids, especially the fermentation of xylose.  Two of the major aims of the NABC project at Amyris are: 1) Engineering xylose consumption with Amyris’ isoprenoid yeast technology and 2) The evaluation of a variety of cellulosic hydrolysates on the fermentation and recovery of product.

This talk will cover Amyris’ progress towards the commercialization of biofuels from cellulosic biomass, and the engineering routes taken to attain xylose utilization in our isoprenoid yeast strains.  Amyris has created isoprenoid-producing strains capable of co-consumption of glucose and xylose, and we have demonstrated isoprenoid production on cellulosic hydrolysate at 300 L scale.  Amyris’ new isoprenoid manufacturing facility in Paraiso Brazil, fully operational since December 2012, would be capable of using cellulosic hydrolysate, assuming such feedstock becomes economically and commercially practical.