Squalene Production from Hyper-Producing Yeasts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sources of squalene, primarily from shark liver oil, pose risks of contamination and are expensive, making them unsuitable for pharmaceutical use, especially in developing countries where high-quality squalene is not readily accessible.
Innovation Solution
Producing squalene from yeasts that are genetically engineered to yield high amounts, ensuring the squalene is purified and free from pathogens, prions, and environmental toxins, thereby providing a safe and cost-effective alternative for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If squalene is extracted from shark liver oil, then squalene can be obtained, but it may be contaminated by pathogens, prions, and environmental toxins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts squalene from yeast cells through cell disruption and purification processes. Yeast cells are disrupted using methods such as bead beating, sonication, or enzymatic treatment, followed by extraction of squalene using solvents or supercritical CO2, yielding pure squalene free from shark-derived contaminants
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses yeast as a renewable, inexpensive, and easily cultivable organism to produce squalene. Yeast can be grown rapidly on simple carbon sources and discarded after extraction, providing a sustainable alternative to shark liver oil that eliminates concerns about pathogen transmission and environmental toxin accumulation
2Reliability
If high-quality squalene is used for pharmaceutical applications, then safety and efficacy are improved, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs yeast strains that naturally accumulate squalene to high concentrations within their cells, eliminating the need for complex fermentation optimization or expensive purification steps. The yeast self-produces sufficient quantities of pure squalene through its metabolic pathways, reducing manufacturing costs while ensuring pharmaceutical-grade quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies yeast metabolic parameters by controlling cultivation conditions such as carbon source composition, oxygen availability, and temperature to maximize squalene accumulation. These parameter changes enable high-yield production of pure squalene at low cost, making pharmaceutical-grade squalene accessible without the high prices associated with traditional sources
3Reliability
If squalene is produced from yeast, then purity and safety are improved, but production scalability must be demonstrated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses yeast as a universal production platform that can be cultivated in standard bioreactors using conventional fermentation techniques already established in the pharmaceutical industry. This multi-functional approach allows the same system to produce squalene at both laboratory and industrial scales, demonstrating scalability while maintaining purity through controlled fermentation conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A method for preparing purified yeast is disclosed, where the squalene source is a yeast that hyper-produces squalene. The squalene is useful for pharmaceutical purposes. For instance, it can be used to prepare an oil-in-water emulsion, and the emulsion is particularly suitable for use as an immunological adjuvant.