Monitoring lipid production in growth phases of new isolated oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain UIMC35 by flow cytometry

In present study, oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain UIMC35 was isolated and identified for SCO (single Cell Oil) production. Flow cytometric technique was employed for the monitoring of fluorescence intensity of the cells (channel FL2), cell size (by FSC parameter) and the cell granularity (by SSC parameter). The relationship between fluorescence intensity and lipid content in order to quick and easy calculation of the amount of lipid content was presented. Changes in various factors such as lipid and biomass production, lipid content, lipid and biomass production efficiency, the amount of sugar, the amount of nitrogen, C/N ratio and pH were investigated at different stages of yeast strain batch culture. The highest rates of lipid production, lipid content and lipid production efficiency by this yeast strain were achieved 6.57 g/l, 67.04 % and 21.13 %, respectively. Decreasing of C/N ratio in the later stages of yeast growth caused the reduction of the lipid production rate.