I have Metschnikowia pulcherrima strain growing in distillery spent wash and collecting lipids for bio-diesel production. Currently the yield is a little low, despite the high sugar contents and looking for other ways to increase lipid accumulation.
A common gene targeted in the genome of the different bugs used in biofuel production is the one coding for HMGcoA reductase, the enzyme that transforms 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A in mevalonate, a key precursor to farnesene, geranylgeranyldiphosphate and squalene.