Microbia, Inc. is dedicated to manufacturing specialty chemicals using low-cost, sustainable fermentation-based processes.   Carotenoids, a subset of the diverse isoprenoid family of compounds, are organic pigments that have applications as dietary supplements and food and feed additives.  Chemically speaking, b-carotene is among the simpler molecules of commercial significance and it can be further derivatized to make more complex carotenoids such as canthaxanthin and astaxanthin.  Synthetic carotenoids represent the bulk of the current market; however, chemical synthesis relies on non-renewable starting materials and processes that become more costly as the desired compound is further modified.  A bio-based process allows us not only to produce a low-cost, natural b-carotene, but also to establish a platform to produce a franchise of carotenoids whose cost of production remain low despite their increasing molecular complexity.  Since these products are lipophilic, we have selected an oleaginous yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, as our host, despite the fact that it does not naturally produce carotenoids.  Because it harbors a large lipid body, this organism provides a perfect repository for carotenoids, allowing them to build up to high titers, while also providing the benefits of experimental tractability and ease of use in a production setting.  We have engineered Y. lipolytica to convert products of the endogenous isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway into b-carotene and have developed a fermentation and recovery process to produce crystalline material, matching the specifications for the synthetic compound currently on the market.  Microbia will be bringing finished formulated products to the market in 2010.