https://phys.org/news/2018-10-tampering-cellular-fats-great.html

This knowledge could be an advantage when engineering the cellular workhorses E. coli, or baker's yeast to produce biofuels, biochemicals or biopharmaceuticals. Therefore, this method could become very important in industries working with cell factories. The research has now been published in Science.

The researchers showed how to manipulate the lipid composition of E. coli and baker's yeast. The next step is to show that the method works for mammalian cells, as well. "The applications for future work aren't industrial, but rather related to health. Several diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, lead to more rigid membranes and also feature impaired mitochondria function," says first author Itay Budin from JBEI.