Streptavidin (SAV) production by the yeast Hansenula polymorpha was established.
Two strains, FMD and MOX promoter, and various SAV genes were analyzed.
Cultivation at 30 °C and FMD-driven expression of full-length SAV was beneficial.
Methanol-free, derepression-based expression led to 1.3 μM of SAV in 48 h.
Induction by methanol yielded 11.42 μM of highly bioactive SAV in 216 h.