Rapid screening and cultivation of oleaginous microorganisms

Abstract

Oleaginous microbial strains were cultivated to identify the best oil-producing strain amongst <i>Yarrowia lipolytica </i>(CGMCC 2.1398), <i>Lipomyces starkeyi </i>(CGMCC 2.1608), <i>Rhodosporidium toruloides </i>(CGMCC 2.1389), <i>Mortierella isabellina </i>(CGMCC 3.3410), <i>Cunninghamella blakeleana</i> (CGMCC 3.970), and <i>Mycobacterium </i>QJ311. A method for rapid determination of oil content and fatty acid composition was established to identify the optimum oil-producing strains. This method had a relative standard deviation of 4.09%, an average recovery ratio of 97.09% and a detection limit of 0.1–1.0 g. <i style="">Mortierella isabellina </i>CGMCC 3.3410 was identified as the best oil-producing strain amongst the six strains tested, with a total biomass of 75 g/10 L and a lipid content of 35%. A rapid screening method of oleaginous microorganisms is discussed for the first time.