Lipid Profiling of Indigenous Korean Microbial Biodiversity for the Discovery of High-Potential Strains for Sustainable Aviation Fuel(SAF) Production

The aviation industry is facing increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as an alternative to fossil-based jet fuels. Conventional aviation fuels rely on finite fossil resources and are associated with long-term resource depletion and environmental burdens, whereas SAF has attracted growing attention as a viable option for mitigating emissions from a carbon-cycle perspective. Securing sustainable and reliable feedstocks therefore remains a key challenge for large-scale SAF deployment.

Microbial oils have emerged as promising SAF feedstocks due to their high productivity, ability to utilize diverse substrates, and potential for scalable cultivation. In this context, the exploration of novel feedstocks based on microbial biodiversity is gaining increasing importance, particularly for diversifying resource bases and improving feedstock resilience.

In this study, we screened and comparatively evaluated the oil production potential of microbial strains derived from Korean biological resources. A diverse set of microorganisms isolated from various natural environments in Korea was examined, including filamentous fungi (Mortierella sp., Umbelopsis sp., and Mucor sp.) and oleaginous yeasts (Yarrowia lipolytica and Rhodotorula sp.). All strains were cultivated under identical conditions, and their growth characteristics and intracellular lipid accumulation were systematically assessed. Several native strains exhibiting high microbial oil production capacity were successfully identified, underscoring the potential of Korean microbial biodiversity as a sustainable resource for energy applications.

Taken together, these results highlight microbial oils derived from indigenous microbial resources as viable alternative feedstocks for SAF production, with the potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and associated greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector. Beyond energy applications, the microbial oil production strategies presented here may also be extended to future uses in food and feed systems, providing foundational insights for sustainable energy transitions and the development of a circular bioeconomy.

 

Following are results of a study on the "Convergence and Open Sharing System "Project, supported by the Ministry of Education and National Research Foundation of Korea