ENGINEERING GLYCEROL UTILIZATION IN CANDIDA FAMATA FOR SUSTAINABLE RIBOFLAVIN PRODUCTION USING CRUDE GLYCEROL

Abstract

Candida famata is a flavinogenic non-conventional yeast with a high capacity for riboflavin (vitamin B₂) production and represents a promising microbial cell factory. Glycerol, particularly crude glycerol generated as a by-product of biodiesel production, is an attractive low-cost carbon source for microbial fermentation. However, its use for riboflavin production by C. famata has not previously been investigated. In the present study, glycerol utilization was investigated in the riboflavin-producing C. famata BRPI strain by targeted overexpression of STL1, encoding a glycerol transporter, and GUT2, encoding a mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Engineered strains were evaluated during cultivation on refined and crude glycerol to assess the potential of genetic modification of glycerol uptake and metabolism for improving riboflavin production and valorizing crude glycerol as a low-cost industrial by-product.