ERYTHRITOL PRODUCTION BY A YEASTLIKE FUNGUS.

A yeastlike fungus, probably belonging to the genus Torula, was isolated from fresh pollen and was shown to produce erythritol in yields of 35 to 40% of the sugar utilized. The ability to produce erythritol is an inherent characteristic of the isolate, but unfavorable fermentation conditions can lead to the production of glycerol at the expense of erythritol. By the use of a synthetic medium, it was shown that the concentrations of both nitrogen and phosphorous in the medium must be closely controlled to obtain satisfactory erythritol yields.