| CPC C12P 7/64 (2013.01) [C12N 1/145 (2021.05)] | 14 Claims |
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1. A method for producing microbial lipids, said method comprising the steps:
a) providing an oleaginous microorganism, wherein said oleaginous microorganism is an oleaginous yeast selected from the genus Cutaneotrichosporon, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus, and Apiotrichum;
b) growing said oleaginous microorganism in a medium comprising a carbon source and an organic acid, and thereby allowing said oleaginous microorganism to produce microbial lipids, wherein said carbon source is selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, and amino acids; and
wherein said organic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, malonic acid, oxalic aacid, citric acid, propionic acid, valeric acid, acrylic acid, crotonic acid, butyric acid, Isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, lactic acid, and the respective salt(s) of such acids, and mixtures of any of said organic acids and/or salts;
c) performing a purely enzymatic treatment of said grown oleaginous microorganism without any solvent-based extraction or chemicals-based demulsification, to make said produced microbial lipids amenable for subsequent harvesting, wherein said purely enzymatic treatment of said grown oleaginous microorganism is a treatment of said oleaginous microorganism with a hydrolase, alone, or in combination with/followed by a protease, wherein said hydrolase is obtained from a filamentous fungus that has been cultured in the presence of an inducing system, wherein said inducing system is a component of said oleaginous microorganism; and
d) harvesting said produced microbial lipids by a density-based separation method.
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