This technology is a method for producing glycerol by culturing the novel yeast strain Hypopichia burtonii KJJ43, which thrives under high-salt and high-osmolarity conditions. This strain is characterized by high cytoplasmic expression of the glycerol-synthesizing enzyme Gpd1 and the accumulation of glycerol within the cell.
While glycerol is widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and resin raw materials, conventional production using salt-tolerant yeast has faced challenges, as the osmotic agents required for high-osmolarity culture complicate the separation of the final product. This necessitated additional processes like reverse osmosis or ion exchange, and recombinant strains have been limited by the significant burden of genetic modification.
This technology utilizes a naturally isolated salt-tolerant strain that expresses Gpd1 in the cytoplasm and accumulates glycerol intracellularly under high-salt and high-osmolarity stress, allowing it to be used as a host for glycerol production without genetic modification. It can be applied to fermentation-based glycerol production and the supply of moisturizing ingredients for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, securing an eco-friendly glycerol source that does not rely on petrochemical synthesis.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the discovery of core yeasts/molds in traditional fermented foods and the development of complex starter cultures.
N/A
