Polyphasic identification of a yeast isolate with dye decolourisation ability

The textile industry generates large volumes of effluents with toxic, coloured, surfactant and chlorinated compounds and salts, thus transforming wastewater into one of the main sources of water pollution1,2. The wastewaters are characterized by fluctuations in parameters such as the BOD, COD, pH, colour and salinity1. Dyes, visible in concentrations lower than 1 ppm, can cause toxic and mutagenic effects to the aquatic habitat3, thus it is relevant the optimization of the wastewater treatment processes to reduce the environmental impact. LIVST11 is a yeast isolate from wastewater with the ability to decolourise several dyes. Physiological, biochemical and molecular biology assays were performed currently placing it in the genus Candida. Molecular biology assays are still underway to identify the strain to the species level. The intracellular and extracellular extracts both presented dye decolourisation abilities, however the extracellular extract showed a better decolourisation. The enzymatic characterization tests of the fractions obtained by FPLC is currently underway.