Lipid production by Yarrowia lipolytica growing on industrial glycerol in a single-stage continuous culture

Yarrowia lipolytica LGAM S(7)1 presented remarkable growth on industrial glycerol used as sole carbon substrate. Nitrogen-limited flask cultures were accompanied by restricted synthesis of reserve lipid, whilst amounts of citric acid were produced extracellularly. On the contrary, high amounts of reserve lipid (up to 3.5 g/l, 43% w/w of lipids in dry biomass) were produced in highly aerated continuous cultures. Lipid production was favoured at low specific dilution rates whilst fat-free material yield increased over the whole range of D (h−1). The maximum volumetric productivity obtained was 0.12 g lipid/l h. Storage lipid composition did not present remarkable changes in the specific dilution rates tested. Oleate and linoleate were the dominant cellular fatty acids.