Single cell paraffin hydrocarbons

The realisation that yeasts would produce dtric acid from n-paraffins was veiy attractive in the late 1960 s. Petroleum byproducts were plentiful and very cheap and there was detailed knowledge available on these processes because the use of hydrocarbon-utilising yeasts for single cell protein was well developed. The strategy was to use n-alkane to produce high yields erf dtric add-producing Candida spp. and to harvest two useful end products rather than just one. The process has not been commerdally successful however. Candida spp. produce mixtures of dtric add and isodtric add and the latter is not a useful product. In addition, since 1973 when petroleum prices rose sharply and have in fact continued to rise, the n-paraffins are no longer a cheap substrate. 

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