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• Hometown: Fajardo, Puerto Rico • Previous Education: University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez • Degree obtained: B.S. in Industrial Biotechnology • Graduate Advisor: Govind S. Nadathur, Ph.D. • Area of Specialization: Biological Oceanography • Research Interest: biofuels, marine molecular biology
Our current sources of energy are based on the combustion of fossil fuels. Biofuels, or hydrocarbon fuels, produced from lipids have served as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. In recent times, there has been a constant search for new and better lipid sources for biofuel production. Oleogenic yeasts could potentially be a good source for lipid production due to their ease of cultivation, fast growth rates and ease of manipulation. Past studies have demonstrated that the oleaginous yeast Debaryomyces hansenii can produce lipids in concentrations of up to 70% of its dry weight.
My research goal is to clone and express certain genes in D. hansenii for the conversion of lipids into long chain hydrocarbons. The successful expression and activity of these genes implies that lipids will not have to be extracted and chemically converted into hydrocarbons, but will be converted within the cell, making biofuel production an easier process. This project is a joint collaboration with Iowa State University.
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