Urea and urine are a viable and cost-effective nitrogen source for Yarrowia lipolytica biomass and lipid accumulation

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2018-03, Vol.102 (5), p.2313-2322
• Main Authors: Brabender, Matthew, Hussain, Murtaza Shabbir, Rodriguez, Gabriel, Blenner, Mark A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonium; Ammonium sulfate; Applied Microbial and Cell Physiology; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Carbon sources; Cell culture; Chemical properties; Digital media; Equivalence; Human wastes; Life Sciences; Lipids; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Nitrogen; Nitrogen sources; Production processes; Saccharomyces; Sulfates; Sustainable production; Urea; Urine; Waste management; Waste streams; Yarrowia lipolytica; Yeast; Yeasts
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8769-z

Yarrowia lipolytica is an industrial yeast that has been used in the sustainable production of fatty acid-derived and lipid compounds due to its high growth capacity, genetic tractability, and oleaginous properties. This investigation examines the possibility of utilizing urea or urine as an alternative to ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source to culture Y. lipolytica . The use of a stoichiometrically equivalent concentration of urea in lieu of ammonium sulfate significantly increased cell growth when glucose was used as the carbon source. Furthermore, Y. lipolytica growth was equally improved when grown with synthetic urine and real human urine. Equivalent or better lipid production was achieved when cells are grown on urea or urine. The successful use of urea and urine as nitrogen sources for Y. lipolytica growth highlights the potential of using cheaper media components as well as exploiting and recycling non-treated human waste streams for biotechnology processes.