[Search of heavy metals biosorbents among yeasts of different taxonomic groups].

The use of microbial cells as heavy metal biosorbents is a potential alternative for the existing methods of the environment treatment for pollution by these metals. Yeast may be successfully used in the metals sorption. An agar-plate screening method was used for rapid isolation of metal-accumulating strains of yeast and preliminary estimation of their biosorption capacity. The capacity to accumulate heavy metals, such as copper, zinc, lead, chrome and cobalt was estimated in 68 pigmented and pigmentless yeast strains isolated from different sources. The best capacity of copper and zinc accumulation was shown by pink-coloured Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhodotorula aurantiaca, Rhodotorula glutinis and pigmentless strains of the yeast Candida krusei, Williopsis california.