Variances in cellular sedimentation behavior as an effective enrichment method of hydrocarbon-overproducing Micrococcus luteus strains.

In summary, we show that cultures of M. luteus cells sediment at distinct rates depending on the amounts of alkenes produced. Our results indicate that buoyant cell density is the primary cause for the observed differences in sedimentation behaviour. The simple separation strategy described here can be a valuable tool in various mutagenesis and enrichment protocols, aimed at generating and isolating strains with increased olefin productivity.