MICROBE magazine features Baudoinia
Published: August 4th, 2009
Revised: September 11th, 2009
The March 2009 issue of MICROBE magazine, the news publication of the prestigious American Society for Microbiology, included a feature article by noted international science writer and former editor of Nature Biotechnology, Dr. Bernard Dixon, summarizing our recent work on the newly described, ethanol-loving fungal genus Baudoinia.
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Chain of Custody Form
Published: July 17th, 2009
Revised: February 13th, 2014
The Chain of Custody form ensures that every step with regards to our analysis process is reliable, confidential and secure.
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Trehalose accumulation in Baudoinia compniacensis
Published: May 19th, 2009
Revised: July 21st, 2014
Abstract
Baudoinia compniacensis is a microfungus recently described as the principal agent of fouling known as “warehouse staining”, affecting building exteriors, fixtures and vegetation surfaces in areas proximate to distillery aging warehouses, commercial bakeries and other areas subject to low-level ethanol vapour exposure. The surfaces most affected tend to be highly exposed and undergo extreme diurnal temperature fluctuations. In previous work, we have demonstrated the existence of heat-inducible putative chaperone proteins that may also be induced by low-level exposures to ethanol vapour (e.g., <10 ppm). The present study investigated the cellular accumulation of trehalose, a disaccharide identified in some microorganisms to be important in the protection of cell components during adverse stress conditions, such as thermal stress. Following heat shock at 45 °C, we observed a 2.5-fold accumulation of trehalose relative to unheated controls maintained at 26 °C. Peak trehalose concentrations of 10 mg/g dry wt were seen at 90 min after heat treatment, followed by a gradual return to post-treatment by 150 min. Exposure of B. compniacensis cells to ethanol resulted in a similar increased accumulation of trehalose compared to unexposed controls. These findings imply that trehalose may be important in the tolerance of this fungus to abiotic stresses, such as heat and solvent exposure, and suggest future research directions for the control and prevention of warehouse staining.
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Indoor environment survey of Penicillium brevicompactum and P. bialowiezense
Published: June 23rd, 2008
Revised: July 21st, 2014
Abstract
We investigated the diversity of the Penicillium brevicompactum Dierckx group in dust from 54 houses in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada. Two taxa were predominant, P. brevicompactum and Pencillium bialowiezense Zaleski, accounting for 88.6% and 5.4% of the sample set, respectively. We further characterized multilocus haplotypes of isolates by characterizing three polymorphic genetic loci, β-tubulin (benA), histone 4 (his4A), and the internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal DNA (nucITS) amplified by PCR amplification and screened using heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA). Eight unique haplotypes were observed in P. brevicompactum s. str., and two in P. bialowiezense, both with a distribution characteristic of a predominantly clonal reproduction mode. Phylogenetic analysis of the β-tubulin and nucITS loci were carried out for members of the P. brevicompactum group, including ex-type material, that revealed three well-supported lineages corresponding to P. brevicompactum, P. bialowiezense (=Penicillium biourgeianum Zaleski), and Penicillium neocrassum R. Serra & S.W. Peterson. The mycophilic nature of many isolates of P. bialowiezense, and some isolates of P. brevicompactum, suggests that observation of members of the P. brevicompactum group in indoor environments may predict extensive and longterm fungal colonization. We also address some nomenclatural problems in the group and epitypify P. bialowiezense.
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Sampling duration and recovery of culturable fungi
Published: May 3rd, 2008
Revised: July 21st, 2014
Abstract
The influence of sampling duration on recovery of culturable fungi was compared using the Andersen N6 and the Reuter Centrifugal Sampler (RCS). Samplers were operated side-by-side, collecting 15 samples each of incrementally increasing duration (1–15 min). From 270 samples collected, 26 fungal genera were recovered. Species of Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Epicoccum, Penicillium and Ulocladium were most frequent. Data adjusted to CFU/m³ were fitted to a Poisson regression model with a logarithmic link function and evaluated for the impact of sampling time on qualitative and quantitative recovery of fungi, both as individual taxa and in aggregate according to xerotolerance. Significant differences between the two samplers were observed for xerotolerant and normotolerant moulds, as well as Aspergillus spp. and Cladosporium spp. With the exception of Cladosporium spp., overall recoveries were higher with the RCS. When the Andersen N6 was used, the recovered levels of Cladosporium spp. and unidentified yeasts were reduced significantly at sampling times over 6 min. Similarly, when the RCS was used, recovery of Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Ulocladium spp., unidentified yeasts, and low water activity fungi declined significantly at sampling times over 6 min.
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