## 1 Introduction  
\(n\)-alkanes are components of crude oil (petroleum) and diesel oil that are rising high concerns regarding environmental preservation and protection in the context of the massive contamination of soil and water due to accidental oil spills, industrial development, and the extension of population habitats. Oil spills can affect the entire ecosystem in a certain geographic region and directly impair the quality of human life. When reaching agricultural soil, it affects its texture and its mineral/heavy metal composition, and determines the inhibition of the crop plant root development [1], affects chlorophyll synthesis, and reduces the light reaction efficiency of photosynthesis [2; 3]. In case of short time exposure of humans/animals to petroleum hydrocarbons by direct contact through breathing, skin contact, or consumption of contaminated foods, it causes nasal discharge, burning in the eye area, respiratory problems, vomiting, nausea, confusion, chronic fatigue, and dizziness. Long time exposure is associated with severe hemocytotoxicity, cytotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity [4]. Among the most studied hydrocarbons, the hexadecane (C\({}_{16}\)H\({}_{34}\)), a medium carbon-chain alkane, is frequently used as a model carbon substrate for evaluation of biodegradation abilities of various microorganisms [5; 6]. The effect of hexadecane exposure of animal and human organisms ranges from primary skin and mild eye and mucous membrane irritations to persistent intoxications of the pancreas during the weeks after exposure [7]. Many microorganisms, such as bacteria (e.g., _Pseudomonas Sphingomonas_, _Mycobacterium_, _Bacillus_, _Rhodococcus_, _Burkholderia_, _Stentotrophomonas_ genera [8; 9; 10]), filamentous fungi (e.g., _Aspergillus_, _Penicillium_, _Mucor_, _Cephalosporium_[11; 12; 13]), and yeast species (e.g., _Candida maltosa_, _Candida tropicalis_, _Rhodorotula_ sp., _Starmerella bombicola_, _Candida antarctica_, _Myerozima guillermondi_, _Rhodorosporidium toruloides_, _Wickerhamomyces anomalus_, _Sporobolomyces salmonicolor_[14; 15; 16; 17]), present strains able to degrade a wide range of alkanes. Among these, _Yarrowai lipolytica_ is one of the most versatile species, comprising strains isolated from natural and industrial habitats, with a wide range of practical applications in industry, bioremediation, and biomedicine [18]. The scientific interest for this species is still growing, especially due to its ability to assimilate non-conventional carbon substrates including crude oil and oil derivatives by converting them into beneficial locompounds (e.g., lipases, lipids, and single-cell oils). The morphology, genetics, and metabolism of _Y. lipolytica_ has been extensively studied over the years [19; 20]. Also, the knowledge concerning the main genes involved in the monoterminal oxidation pathway, particularly of medium and high carbon-chain alkanes, has been completed by genome sequencing and genome-scale metabolic studies [21; 22]. Numerous _Y. lipolytica_ strains, including some isolated from aquatic environments, have been described as having high aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon degrading abilities, with rates of hexadecane degradation ranging from 39.9% to 78% over a maximum of 7 days of incubation [20; 23]. Furthermore, the alkanes, including hexadecane, can be used as the sole carbon substrate for the production of biosurfactants in _Y. lipolytica_ cells. Biosurfactants are surfactants produced and excreted by numerous microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, and fungi). Due to their amphiphilic structure comprising a hydrophobic moiety (consisting of long-chain fatty acids) and a hydrophilic moiety (represented mainly by carbohydrates, alcohols, and proteins), biosurfactants can decrease the surface tension between the hydrophobic (hydrocarbons) and hydrophilic (microbial cells) phases. This process determines the formation of hydrophobic micro-droplets, which are easily assimilated into the microbial cell via specific cell wall structures [19].