**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** GREEK YOGURT IS A DAIRY PRODUCT THAT HAS ACHIEVED TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. HOWEVER, ITS PRODUCTION GENERATES A LIQUID BY-PRODUCT, CALLED ACID WHEY (AW), WHOSE INAPPROPRIATE DISPOSAL POSES A CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT DUE TO ITS HIGH ORGANIC CONTENT. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT MORE THAN 3 MILLION TONS OF AW ARE GENERATED IN THE US EACH YEAR. THIS PLACES A SEVERE ECONOMIC BURDEN ON THE DAIRY INDUSTRY BUT ALSO PRESENTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AS IT CAN BE USED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF VALUABLE PRODUCTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CONSTRUCT A MICROBIAL PLATFORM THAT CAN UTILIZE AW AND PRODUCE A RANGE OF BENEFICIAL CHEMICALS THROUGH METABOLIC ENGINEERING OF THE OLEAGINOUS YEASTYARROWIA LIPOLYTICA. THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES INCLUDE USING METABOLIC ENGINEERING TOOLS TO INTRODUCE THE NECESSARY GENES FOR AW UTILIZATION AND PRODUCT BIOSYNTHESIS. WE TARGET CAROTENOIDS AND VITAMINS AS FOOD OR FEED INGREDIENTS. TO IMPROVE CAROTENOID TITERS, SCREENING FOR HETEROLOGOUS BIOSYNTHETIC ENZYMES AND SUB-CELLULAR LOCALIZATION STRATEGIES WILL BE EMPLOYED. MOREOVER, MEASUREMENT OF THE GENOME-WIDE RESPONSE OFY. LIPOLYTICATO CONCENTRATED AW WILL INFORM THE RATIONAL TOLERANCE ENGINEERING OF THE HOST STRAIN. NEXT, THE ENGINEERED STRAINS WILL BE VALIDATED IN LARGER-SCALE BIOREACTORS, AND THE PURIFICATION OF INTRACELLULAR PRODUCTS FROM CELL BIOMASS WILL BE INVESTIGATED. FINALLY, TECHNO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WILL BE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE PROPOSED BIOPROCESS'S POTENTIAL FEASIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. OVERALL, WE ANTICIPATE DEVELOPING A BIOPROCESS THAT WILL CONCURRENTLY BIOREMEDIATE A FOOD INDUSTRY WASTE AND CREATE VALUE BY SYNTHESIZING HIGH VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS.