The fluorescent protein iLOV as a reporter for screening of high-yield production of antimicrobial peptides in Pichia pastoris.

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is commonly used for the production of recombinant proteins at scale. The identification of an optimally overexpressing strain following transformation can be time and reagent consuming. Fluorescent reporters like GFP have been used to assist identification of superior producers, but their relatively big size, maturation requirements and narrow temperature range restrict their applications.