Euglena, a type of microalgae, biosynthesizes wax esters that can be used as a feedstock for biodiesel fuel. It is said that euglena can produce as much as 50% of the dry cell weight of wax ester. However, the overall picture of carbon metabolism that supports this amazing biomass production capacity remains unclear. In this study, I isolate mitochondria, which play a central role in wax ester biosynthesis, and construct an experimental system to precisely analyze the metabolic reactions that occur within mitochondria and the entry and exit of substances that separate the inner membrane.
