To study the potential use of supercrit. CO2 extn. for the recovery of products from yeast cell cultures, the effects of CO2 on different yeast strains over a range of pressures and temps. have been examd. Viability was shown to be dependent on temp. and dissolved CO2 concn., and can be described by a sigmoidal (S-shaped) curve. Cell death was mainly due to an 'anesthesia effect' rather than cell rupture. Important differences in sensitivity were obsd. for the strains studied, with the following order of resistance: Kluyveromyces fragilis>Saccharomyces cerevisiae>Candida utilis. [on SciFinder (R)]