Debaryomyces hansenii — an extremophilic yeast with biotechnological potential

We illuminate the ecological, physiological and genetic characteristics of the yeast Debaryomyces hansenii in the view of our belief that this metabolically versatile, non‐pathogenic, osmotolerant and oleaginous microorganism represents an attractive target for fundamental and applied biotechnological research. To this end, we give a broad overview of extant biotechnological procedures using D. hansenii , e.g. in the manufacture of various foods, and propose research into the heterologous synthesis of a range of fine chemicals. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.