Expression of heretologous amylases in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The major microbial alcoholic fermenter, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is unable to utilize starch for ethanol production because it lacks starch degrading enzymes. Yeast genetic engineering makes it possible to obtain strains expressing amylases from a variety of different organisms. Here we present a review of the main results obtained in our group pursuing a stable recombinant S. cerevisiae strain possessing all of the enzymatic activities needed for the production of ethanol from starchy raw materials.