The yeast Starmerella bombicola distinguishes itself from other yeasts by its potential of producing copious amounts of the secondary metabolites sophorolipids (SLs): these are glycolipid biosurfactants composed out of a(n) (acetylated) sophorose moiety and a lipid tail. Although SLs are the subject of numerous research papers and have been commercialized, e.g., in eco-friendly cleaning solutions, the Read more about Did you already wonder why Starmerella bombicola produces sophorolipids?[…]

Do you want to know everything about our green biosurfactants from bumblebee to bioeconomy? Than we can proudly present you our latest work reviewing the state-of-the-art research concerning sophorolipids and assessing its bright future!

Want to find out how to report correctly on the synthesis of microbial biosurfactants, or their functional characterization or process development? Learn it here!

Highlights Acidic sophorolipid (ASL) has unconventional pH-dependent interfacial properties At the air-water interface, ASL molecules acquire a Π-shape and interact with one another through their carboxyl/carboxylate groups ASL renders copper sulfide hydrophilic at acidic pH and hydrophobic at neutral and basic pH The stepwise increase in hydrophobicity is caused by precipitation of hydrophobic Cu(II)-ASL complexes Read more about Cooperation with Norwegian University of Science and Technology results in publication in Journal of Colloid and Interface Science![…]

Did you know that… the output of a biosynthetic pathway is influenced by its chromosomal position? changing the location affects the expression range less than promoter-RBS libraries? culture conditions affect expression differently on different genomic locations? As a biorefinery platform host, Escherichia coli has been used extensively to produce metabolites of commercial interest. Integration of Read more about Genomic location matters![…]

The yeast Starmerella bombicola very efficiently produces the secondary metabolites sophorolipids. Their biosynthesis is not-growth associated and highly upregulated in the stationary phase. Despite high industrial and academic interest, the underlying regulation of sophorolipid biosynthesis remains unknown. In this paper, potential regulation of sophorolipid biosynthesis through the telomere positioning effect was investigated, as the SL Read more about New insights on the regulation of sophorolipid biosynthesis in Starmerella bombicola published![…]

Products with an eco-label are often more expensive than regular products. Bio-engineer Sven Dierickx (Ghent University – InBio.be) is determined to change this: he uses yeast from bumblebee honey to make environmentally friendly ánd low-cost detergent. Want to know more? Watch his 3-minute pitch on Science Figured Out!

In 2013 werd het startschot gegeven voor Inbiose, een spin-off van InBio die voortvloeide uit de onderzoekslijn van de HMOs. Nu 6 jaar later zijn ze uitgeroepen tot Ambassadeur van de Oost-Vlaamse Gazellen bij kleine bedrijven! Proficiat Inbiose! Bekijk het interview van prof. Soetaert, CEO en medeoprichter van Inbiose, hier. Geïnteresseerd in wie de prijs Read more about In de kijker: Spin-off Inbiose is Ambassadeur van de Oost-Vlaamse Gazellen![…]

This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of sophorolipid (SL) production process that co-utilizes food waste, glucose and oleic acid as substrates. Two variables are considered in terms of (a) Plant construction: Purchasing equipment either from the US or Mainland China and (b) Production: to produce SL crystals or a concentrated SL liquid/syrup. Hence, four scenarios Read more about New article on applying food waste for sophorolipid production[…]