Biosynthesis of the biodegradable polymers polyhydroxyalkanotes (PHAs) are studied extensively in wild type and genetically modified prokaryotic cells, however the content and structure of PHA in wild type yeasts are not well documented. The purpose of this study was to screen forty yeast isolates collected from different Egyptian ecosystems for their ability to accumulate PHAs. Identification of the isolates and characterization of PHAs produced by the positive strains in the Nile-red staining assay was envisaged. One positive isolates which was identified using the API 20C yeast identification system as Rhodotorula minuta strain RY4 produced 2% of PHA in biomass, in glucose, oleic acid and tween 60 containing medium, over a growth period of 96 h. The nature of the PHA thus produced was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (

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