Rhizobacteria isolated from wild dipterocarp saplings in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, were subjected to Salkowski's reagent test, which is often used in detecting indolic substances. Among 69 isolates grown in a low-nitrogen medium supplemented with L-tryptophan (TRP), culture fluids of 29 strains were positive to the test, in which 17 bacteria turned red and other 10 pink. All the red type rhizobacteria actively converted TRP into tryptophol (TOL), while some yielded indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) with TOL production. They also showed a capacity to decompose gallotannin into pyrogallol via gallic acid. On the other hand, an active IAA-producing Serratia sp. CK67, and three Fe-solubilizing Burkholderia spp. CK28, CK43, and Citrobacter sp. CK42, were all involved in pink type rhizobacteria, which were more effective, oxidative TRP-degraders than the red type rhizobacteria. Thus, Salkowski's reagent test should be a useful primary index in the screening of functional rhizobacteria in peatland ecosystem.

Conversion of lignocellulosic hydrolysates to lipids using oleaginous (high lipid) yeasts requires alignment of the hydrolysate composition with the characteristics of the yeast strain, including ability to utilize certain nutrients, ability to grow independently of costly nutrients such as vitamins, and ability to tolerate inhibitors. Some combination of these characteristics may be present in wild strains. In this study, 48 oleaginous yeast strains belonging to 45 species were tested for ability to utilize carbon sources associated with lignocellulosic hydrolysates, tolerate inhibitors, and grow in medium without supplemented vitamins. Some well-studied oleaginous yeast species, as well as some that have not been frequently utilized in research or industrial production, emerged as promising candidates for industrial use due to ability to utilize many carbon sources, including Cryptococcus aureus, Cryptococcus laurentii, Hannaella aff. zeae, Tremella encephala, and Trichosporon coremiiforme. Other species excelled in inhibitor tolerance, including Candida aff. tropicalis, Cyberlindnera jadinii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Schwanniomyces occidentalis and Wickerhamomyces ciferrii. No yeast tested could utilize all carbon sources and tolerate all inhibitors tested. These results indicate that yeast strains should be selected based on characteristics compatible with the composition of the targeted hydrolysate. Other factors to consider include the production of valuable co-products such as carotenoids, availability of genetic tools, biosafety level, and flocculation of the yeast strain. The data generated in this study will aid in aligning yeasts with compatible hydrolysates for conversion of carbohydrates to lipids to be used for biofuels and other oleochemicals.

Of 1600 known species of yeasts, about 70 are known to be oleaginous, defined as being able to accumulate over 20 % intracellular lipids. These yeasts have value for fundamental and applied research. A survey of yeasts from the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, University of California Davis was performed to identify additional oleaginous species within the Basidiomycota phylum. Fifty-nine strains belonging to 34 species were grown in lipid inducing media, and total cell mass, lipid yield and triacylglycerol profiles were determined. Thirty-two species accumulated at least 20 % lipid and 25 species accumulated over 40 % lipid by dry weight. Eighteen of these species were not previously reported to be oleaginous. Triacylglycerol profiles were suitable for biodiesel production. These results greatly expand the number of known oleaginous yeast species, and reveal the wealth of natural diversity of triacylglycerol profiles within wild-type oleaginous Basidiomycetes.