However, it has a severe limitation compared to yeast: its utilizable substrate range is restricted to glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Using biotechnological methods, scientists are currently trying to overcome this. A variant of Z. mobilis that is able to use certain pentoses as a carbon source has been developed.
An interesting characteristic of Z. mobilis is that its plasma membrane contains hopanoids, pentacyclic compounds similar to eukaryotic sterols. This allows it to have an extraordinary tolerance to ethanol in its environment, around 13%.