A New Methanol-assimilating, High Productive, Thermophilic Yeast

Abstract

Taxonomical properties and chemostat behavior of a yeast capable of growth on methanol as its sole carbon and energy source were examined. The yeast was identified as a new species belonging to the genus Pichia and was named Pichia methanothermo MO-104. The optimum growth of this yeast was observed at 37 to 40/sup 0/C and at pH 4.0 to 6.0 in a semi-synthetic medium. The productivity of the yeast reached 4.12 g of cells per l per h in continuous culture in medium containing 73 g of methanol per l, with a dilution rate of 0.146 per h, temperature of 40/sup 0/C, and cell density of 28.2 g per l. The maximum cell yield in continuous culture was 0.386 g of cells per g of methanol. The protein content of the biomass was 47.3 to 53.8%.