The two isolated strains clustered within the Candida membranifaciens clade, with C. tumulicola as the most closely related species.

[1] The yeast cells, after growth on glucose-peptone-yeast extract broth culture for three days at 25 °C (77 °F), are egg-shaped to elongated, measuring 3–11 by 1–3.5 μm.

The yeast can assimilate the following carbon sources: glucose, galactose, sucrose, L-arabinose, cellobiose, maltose, trehalose, lactose, D-xylose, rhamnose, isomaltulose, melibiose, melezitose; mannitol, sorbitol, glycerol, erythritol; N-acetyl glucosamine, 2-ketogluconate, α-methyl-D-glucoside, levulinate and glucosamine.

[1] The kerosene from which the two yeast strains were isolated was analyzed with gas chromatography and shown to have 48 identifiable components.

Other microbes that can contaminate fuels include the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, the filamentous fungus Hormoconis resinae, and the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa.