From September 29 to October 3, 2024, yeast experts convened in Cape Town, South Africa, for the 16th International Congress on Yeasts (ICY16). This premier event drew leading researchers from academia and industry to present and discuss the latest developments in yeast biotechnology. Among them was Xiang Li, a postdoctoral researcher at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, who came to share exciting new insights from his work on the EU-backed PRISM-LT project. 

Xiang presented his poster on Engineering Yeasts for the Efficient Secretion of Recombinant Growth Factors—proteins crucial for tissue growth and regeneration. With a combination of CRISPR technology and advanced screening methods, Xiang and his team developed yeast strains that boost protein secretion rates. “While recombinant growth factors (rGF) are currently produced using various systems like bacteria, animal cells, and plants, yeast offers a distinct advantage,” he explained. “It can modify and release these proteins more efficiently, making it a promising and sustainable cell factory.” 

The response was quite positive. During the poster session, attendees offered valuable feedback, with some researchers showing interest in collaborating. “The challenge is generating sufficient quantities of rGFs while keeping the yeast viable,” Xiang noted. “But our results show that with the right modifications, yeast could become an efficient and versatile solution for producing these crucial proteins.” 

As the EIC-funded PRISM-LT project wants to combine stem cells with engineered helper yeast, Xiang’s work is an essential step in optimizing yeast to respond to stem cell metabolites and guide their differentiation into complex tissues.