Patent ID: 8241888

Claim:
A recombinant yeast, comprising: at least two integrated copies of a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a truncated eukaryotic HMG-CoA reductase enzyme that converts hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA to mevalonic acid; and a plasmid comprising heterologous nucleic acid molecules encoding: a yeast enzyme that converts mevalonic acid to phosphomevalonic acid; a yeast enzyme that converts phosphomevalonic acid to phosphomevalonate; and, a yeast enzyme that converts phosphomevalonate to isopentenyl pyrophosphate; a eukaryotic enzyme that converts isopentenyl pyrophosphate and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate to farnesyl pyrophosphate; wherein the recombinant yeast has a decreased activity of squalene synthase relative to wild type yeast due to a disruption of an endogenous ERG9 gene or due to a repression of an endogenous ERG9 gene by a heterologous repressible promoter, and wherein the recombinant yeast produces farnesol or farnesol in an amount greater than about 11% of dry cell weight.