ABF postdoctoral researcher Karuna Jetty was awarded first place for her talk at Sandia National Laboratories’ Technical Showcase, titled “Microbes at Work: The Magic Behind the Palm Kernel Oil Production.”
Jetty will again deliver her talk at the Bay Area Research SLAM on October 5, 2023, competing against researchers from other Bay Area national laboratories.
Participants of the SLAM have three minutes to deliver their most captivating research presentation.
Jetty’s talk focuses on her research in developing sustainable methods for palm kernel oil production by engineering a nontoxic yeast that naturally accumulates lipids more than 50% of their body weight. By manipulating microbial metabolic pathways, it is possible to produce oils with similar characteristics to palm kernel oil, reducing the demand for palm plantations and mitigating associated environmental concerns.