Engineered yeast converts methanol into valuable compound α-farnesene at scale

Farnesene, a high-value chemical intermediate, has applications in fragrance and pharmaceutical synthesis as well as aviation fuel formulations. Microbial synthesis offers an economical and environment-friendly method to produce it. To reduce reliance on food-based feedstocks, researchers have now engineered novel microbial cell factories capable of utilizing methanol.

Employing systems metabolic engineering strategies, scientists optimized the key mevalonate pathway and enhanced downstream metabolism. Combing with adaptive laboratory evolution and mutagenesis methods, they improved tolerance to methanol and enhanced the production of α-farnesene.

The engineered strain, Pichia pastoris ccg3-8, achieved a yield of 3.28 g/L, establishing an effective strategy for the production of α-farnesene from methanol and providing a promising platform for the low-cost and sustainable biomanufacturing of isoprene-derived compounds.

The work entitled “Evolutionary engineering of Pichia pastoris for α-farnesene biosynthesis from methanol” was published on Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing (published on May 19, 2025).