Engineered yeasts for high-value carotenoid production

Abstract

Advances in synthetic biology have enabled the microbial production of various high-value chemicals. Carotenoids are isoprenoid compounds with a global market value expected to reach USD 1.7 billion by 2025 and with wide-ranging applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. In this book chapter, we aim to provide an overview of three critical aspects of high-value carotenoid production: 1) carotenogenic yeasts, for example, red yeast as a promising source for carotenoid production and the available genetic tools for strain engineering; 2) non-carotenogenic yeasts, for example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a microbial chassis for carotenoid production; and various engineering strategies to improve the production of carotenoids; 3) alternative feedstocks for carotenoid production, for example, crude glycerol, low-cost sugars/byproducts, vegetative oil, and agro-industrial wastes as a part of waste management and valorization. Understanding carotenoid production by emphasizing engineered yeasts and low-cost substrates would pave the way toward improving the entire carotenoid production process.