Project

Modifying the sophorolipid fatty acid tail by genetic engineering of Candida bombicola

Code

01SC1009

Duration

01 September 2009 → 31 August 2014

Funding

Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund

Promotor

Wim Soetaert

Fellow

Jinxin Zhang

Research disciplines

Engineering and technology
- Biocatalysis and enzyme technology
- Bioprocessing, bioproduction and bioproducts
- Fermentation
- Industrial biotechnology diagnostics
- Industrial microbiology
- Industrial molecular engineering of nucleic acids and proteins
- Industrial biotechnology not elsewhere classified

Keywords

fermentation sophorolipids yeast

Project description

The yeast Candida bombicola is able to produce sophorolipids. Those compounds consist out of a hydrophilic saccharide linked to a hydrophobic fatty acid chain. This structure gives the molecules surface-active properties with possible industrial applications. This project aims to modify the sophorolipid fatty acid chain by altering specific C. bombicola enzymes involved in sopohorolipidsynthesis.