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Introduction

As an inhibitor of the enzyme (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase), which plays a significant role in cholesterol biosynthesis, lovastatin is a medicinal compound used against cardiovascular diseases (Tobert, 2003). It is a naturally occurring drug which is found in food such as oyster mushrooms and red yeast rice. During the production of lovastatin in Aspergillus terreus, toxins could be produced at the same time. However, Aspergillus niger is a mass producer of organic acids with the potential to produce lovastatin more securely. By this project, a more suitable host for lovastatin biosynthesis is likely to be found by cloning and transferring the gene from Aspergillus terreus to the same species fungi Aspergillus niger.

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