Persistence of Fungi in Atypical, Closed Environments: Cultivation to Omics

Publication date: Available online 25 September 2018Source: Methods in MicrobiologyAuthor(s): Adriana Blachowicz, Kasthuri Venkateswaran, Clay C.C. WangAbstractFilamentous fungi are dual organisms that can be both useful for mankind and threatening to human habitats and health. These omnipresent extremotolerant microorganisms are associated with a range of hostile environments and the human body. Immense adaptability to a variety of conditions enables fungi residing on people to thrive anywhere they go, including man-made closed habitats. One such habitat is the International Space Station (ISS), which is a research platform under strict microbiological scrutiny. Over time microbial monitoring of the ISS has shifted from cultivation to state-of-the-art molecular techniques. Such in-depth analyses have facilitated the identification of a myriad of fungal isolates and their associated molecular phenotypes following adaptation to the unique space environment. As space-faring nations are preparing for the era of long-term manned missions to explore outer space, it is imperative to understand physiological changes of fungi coexisting with humans in closed habitats.
Source: Methods in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research