Journal Article
mSphere, vol. 4, iss. 2, 2019
Authors
Peter B. Otoupal, Masakazu Ito, Adam P. Arkin, Jon K. Magnuson, John M. Gladden, Jeffrey M. Skerker, Aaron P. Mitchell
Abstract
Microbial biofuel and bioproduct platforms provide access to clean and renewable carbon sources that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than petroleum-based carbon sources. Furthermore, they can serve as useful conduits for the synthesis of advanced molecules that are difficult to produce through strictly chemical means.
R. toruloides
has emerged as a promising potential host for converting renewable lignocellulosic material into valuable fuels and chemicals. However, engineering efforts to improve the yeast’s production capabilities have been impeded by a lack of advanced tools for genome engineering. While this is rapidly changing, one key tool remains unexplored in
R. toruloides
: CRISPR-Cas9. The results outlined here demonstrate for the first time how effective multiplexed CRISPR-Cas9 gene disruption provides a framework for other researchers to utilize this revolutionary genome-editing tool effectively in
R. toruloides
.
