Biodiesels constitute a growing class of fuel in the world which is
increasingly inclined towards more ecological and sustainable energy.
Despite their advantages, biodiesels are of limited cold flow properties
and of larger NOx emissions, which are mostly attributed to the chemical
composition of their oil feedstocks. This study presents a novel
approach to produce Genetically Engineered Biodiesel from genetically
manipulated oleaginous yeast oils for improving biodiesel properties and
performances. Using full-factorial central composite design, the best
chemical composition of an optimal biodiesel was predicted. Then, simple
and combined MFE1, PEX10 and POX2 mutants of the oleaginous yeast
Yarrowia lipolytica were constructed and showed interesting lipid
profiles whose biodiesel is predicted to have better cold flow
properties. These mutants showed also higher lipid titers by 2-3 folds
compared to the parent strain. This study provides a genetic engineering
strategy for tailor design of biodiesel properties and performance.