Oxygen transfer rate and sophorose lipid production by Candida bombicola

Sophorose lipids (SLs) have applications as surfactants and are produced at high levels by several yeasts. We developed a fed‐batch shake‐flask method for the production of SLs by Candida bombicola ATCC 22214. Optimal aeration, expressed in terms of oxygen transfer rate, was between 50 and 80 m M O 2 /L h −1 and resulted in maximum values for both volumetric product formation (1–1.5 g/L h −1 ) and SL yield (350 g/L). The lowest aeration levels resulted in the enrichment in saturated fatty acid SLs at the expense of unsaturated fatty acid SLs. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 77: 489–494, 2002; DOI 10.1002/bit.10177