Bioconversion of Waste Lipids into Long-Chain Dicarboxylic Acids: Process Insights and Optimisation

Promovendus/a: Boris Gilis

Promotor(en): prof. dr. Iris Cornet

What if we could use yesterday’s cooking oil to replace fossil oil in the production of valuable chemicals? Despite growing sustainability efforts, the chemical industry still relies heavily on fossil resources and energy-intensive production methods. Meanwhile, large amounts of cooking oil and fat wastes are used as a low-value energy source, even though they contain valuable building blocks for chemical production.
This PhD research investigated whether waste oils and fats could be converted into long-chain dicarboxylic acids. These acids are versatile components used in materials such as plastics and coatings. Producing these molecules efficiently with conventional chemical processes is challenging. Instead, this research explored a more sustainable approach by using yeasts as tiny biochemical production factories.
By developing an optimised and controlled fermentation process, these yeasts converted the waste oils and fats into high amounts of long-chain dicarboxylic acids. This work shows that even complex waste streams can be transformed into valuable products, reducing waste and supporting the transition of the chemical industry towards renewable and circular raw materials.