Scheffersomyces virginianus NRRL Y-48822T. Photo credit: Katharina Barros, David Krause, Chris Hittinger

Natural xylose-fermenting yeasts are found in rotting wood, tree barks, leaves, and some of them are associated with insects. Scheffersomyces virginianus was originally isolated from rotten wood (Quercus virginiana) in Louisiana, USA. It has been sequenced due to its ability to ferment xylose and to improve the understanding of this relevant trait for ethanol and xylitol production.

References:

Urbina, H., Blackwell, M. 2012. Multilocus phylogenetic study of the Scheffersomyces yeast clade and characterization of the N-terminal region of xylose reductase gene. PLoS One, 7(6), e39128.