Studying lipid metabolism

Yarrowia lipolytica  is a dimorphic fungus that grows in the form of yeast and as filaments. It has called the attention of scientists for its growth in harsh  conditions.  It can be genetically modified to produce more lipids as shown in the figure  where lipid droplets were stained with Bodipy and yeast were observed by fluorescence microscopy.  The main challenge is to create mutants  in new environmental isolates!