Engineered yeast tolerance enables efficient production from toxified lignocellulosic feedstocks

Lignocellulosic biomass remains unharnessed for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals due to challenges in deconstruction and the toxicity its hydrolysates pose to fermentation microorganisms. Here, we show in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that engineered aldehyde reduction and elevated extracellular potassium and pH are sufficient to enable near-parity production between inhibitor-laden and inhibitor-free feedstocks. By specifically targeting the universal hydrolysate inhibitors, a single strain is enhanced to tolerate a broad diversity of highly toxified genuine feedstocks and consistently achieve industrial-scale titers (cellulosic ethanol of >100 grams per liter when toxified). Furthermore, a functionally orthogonal, lightweight design enables seamless transferability to existing metabolically engineered chassis strains: We endow full, multifeedstock tolerance on a xylose-consuming strain and one producing the biodegradable plastics precursor lactic acid. The demonstration of drop-in hydrolysate competence enables the potential of cost-effective, at-scale biomass utilization for cellulosic fuel and nonfuel products alike.

Automated summary

By engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae, near-parity production can be achieved between inhibitor-laden and inhibitor-free feedstocks, and a single strain can be enhanced to tolerate diverse highly toxified feedstocks. Moreover, a lightweight design allows for seamless transferability to existing metabolically engineered chassis strains, demonstrating the potential for cost-effective, at-scale biomass utilization for cellulosic fuel and nonfuel products.