Kinetic studies on the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma.

The yeast Phaffia rhodozyma, a promising microbial producer of the carotenoid astaxanthin, was cultivated in batch and continuous processes in an agitated and aerated fermenter using an acid peat extract based culture medium. For the accelerated growth phase, the mean specific growth rate and doubling time were found to be 0.038 h-1, and 18.24 hours, respectively. The production of astaxanthin was found to be basically growth associated, the maximum concentrations of the pigment produced in batch culture and continuous cultivation being similar.