Multifunctional fabrics based on Yarrowia lipolytica yeast dyes – YaLiGreen

One of the promising alternatives that can partially or completely replace dyes of fossil origin is their microbial production. Despite the multiple advantages compared to plant and animal dyes (e.g., non-competition with food, engineering of targeted molecules, etc.), microbial dyes still face less stability and higher production costs compared to synthetic dyes, which limits their industrial exploitation. In this context, the YaLiGreen project aims to produce a green dye (prodeoxyviolacein) by a modified strain of Yarrowia lipolytica, extract the dye, and use it for fabrics dyeing. The strategies that will be followed in this project consist of 1) boosting the prodeoxyviolacein biosynthesis pathway in the yeast Y. lipolytica, 2) developing a culture medium based on industrial by-products for fermentation, 3) extraction of prodeoxyviolacein using a single-stage process, 4) its functionalization to obtain color-stable fabrics, and 5) the analysis of antimicrobial and cytotoxicity of the dye and the fabrics obtained.