Patent ID: 8911966

Claim:
A method for producing astaxanthin using a Hematococcus pluvialis micro-organism comprising the steps of: (a) culturing in a medium under conditions for induction of carotenogenesis consisting of irradiation at 180 μE m −2 s −1 a nicotine-resistant mutant of wild-type Hematococcus pluvialis , wherein the nicotine-resistant mutant produces astaxanthin with a volumetric yield of 1.5-fold to 3.0-fold within three days of induction of carotenogenesis compared to wild type Hematococcus pluvialis in which carotenogenesis is induced by irradiation at 180 μE m −2 s −1 , and (b) recovering or isolating the astaxanthin from the medium where carotenogenesis was induced; and/or from the mutant micro-organism or parts thereof, by extraction; and/or by centrifugation; and/or by disrupting isolated cells of the mutant micro-organism or parts thereof by chemical, enzymatic and/or physical treatment; and/or by homogenization of the mutant cells and/or the mutant micro-organism or parts thereof, or from cell debris; and/or by lyophilisation of the mutant micro-organism or parts thereof, wherein the nicotine-resistant mutant exhibits a growth rate substantially similar to the corresponding wild-type micro-organism.