[Yeast growth on solid natural oil]

Two strains of the yeast Candida lipolytica with a specific response to n-alkanes could grow on a medium with paraffins only in the case of contact of the cells with the particles of hydrocarbons. A mixture of paraffins with a solidification point of 35 degrees C contained 41.6% of n-alkanes with the carbon chain from C8 to C36. Assimilation of n-alkanes was studied along with the yeast growth in the course of fermentation. Penetration of the hydrocarbons into the yeast cells and the specificity of the substrates for both yeast strains are discussed.