Molecular and Microscopical Investigation of the Microflora Inhabiting a Deteriorated Italian Manuscript Dated from the Thirteenth Century

This case study shows the application of nontraditional diagnostic methods to investigate the microbial consortia inhabiting an ancient manuscript. The manuscript was suspected to be biologically deteriorated and SEM observations showed the presence of fungal spores attached to fibers, but classic culturing methods did not succeed in isolating microbial contaminants. Therefore, molecular methods, including PCR, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and clone libraries, were used as a sensitive alternative to conventional cultivation techniques. DGGE fingerprints revealed a high biodiversity of both bacteria and fungi inhabiting the manuscript. DNA sequence analysis confirmed the existence of fungi and bacteria in manuscript samples. A number of fungal clones identified on the manuscript showed similarity to fungal species inhabiting dry or saline environments, suggesting that the manuscript environment selects for osmophilic or xerophilic fungal species. Most of the bacterial sequences retrieved from the manuscript belong to phylotypes with cellulolytic activities

Saprotrophic soil fungi to improve phosphorus solubilisation and release. In vitro abilities of several species

Modern agriculture is dependent on phosphate rock (PR), which is a nonrenewable resource. Improvement of phosphorus (P) availability for crops in agricultural soils represents a key strategy to slow down the depletion of PR. The aim of this study was to identify potential P biofertilisers among saprotrophic fungal species. We tested 30 fungal strains belonging to 28 taxa (4 Zygomycota and 24 Ascomycota) and with different life strategies. The study showed that many saprotrophic fungi have the ability to mobilise P from insoluble forms according to a variety of mechanisms. Our results expand the pool of P solubilising fungal species, also suggesting a new solubilisation index and shedding light on parameters that could be basic in the selection of efficient soil P-biofertilisers fungi. Rhizopus stolonifer var. stolonifer, Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata were found to be the best performing strains in terms of amounts of TCP solubilisation

Roles of saprotrophic fungi in biodegradation or transformation of organic and inorganic pollutants in co-contaminated sites

For decades, human activities, industrialization, and agriculture have contaminated soils and water with several compounds, including potentially toxic metals and organic persistent xenobiotics. The co-occurrence of those toxicants poses challenging environmental problems, as complicated chemical interactions and synergies can arise and lead to severe and toxic effects on organisms. The use of fungi, alone or with bacteria, for bioremediation purposes is a growing biotechnology with high potential in terms of cost-effectiveness, an environmental-friendly perspective and feasibility, and often representing a sustainable nature-based solution. This paper reviews different ecological, metabolic, and physiological aspects involved in fungal bioremediation of co-contaminated soils and water systems, not only addressing best methods and approaches to assess the simultaneous presence of metals and organic toxic compounds and their consequences on provided ecosystem services but also the interactions between fungi and bacteria, in order to suggest further study directions in this field

Exploiting The Multifunctional Potential Of Belowground Biodiversity In Organic Farming: A Chance For Improving Horticultural Productions.

A project (EXCALIBUR) has been started aiming to deepen the knowledge on soil biodiversity dynamics and its synergistic effects with prebiotic and probiotic approaches in horticulture. In this context, new multifunctional soil microbial inoculants (bio-inocula) and bio-effectors will be tested on three model crops of economic importance (tomato, apple, strawberry) under different experimental and open-field conditions across Europe. Excalibur plans to develop a comprehensive strategy of soil management improving the effectiveness of biocontrol and biofertilization practices in organic farming also through the development of a Decision Support System (DSS) and tools for monitoring inocula in the soil. Such activities are expected to encourage the adoption of best practices derived from the new strategy by the farmer’s increasing also the awareness on the potential benefits of soil biodiversity maintenance for crops’ performance

The extreme environment of a library: Xerophilic fungi inhabiting indoor niches

The use of Compactus shelves by libraries and archives is a good solution to optimize the storage space and prevent dust deposits on books. However, they are probably the cause of severe cases of fungal colonization in historical library materials. A typical phenomenon occurs as a spread of white mycelial growth forming scattered spots, mainly on volumes with leather or fabric bindings. Recent studies have identified the xerophilic fungus Eurotium halophilicum (anamorph Aspergillus halophilicus) as responsible for this kind of contamination. A similar situation was found inside the Library of Humanities (BAUM), at Ca' Foscari University, Venice (Italy). Various sampling methods, including cotton swabs and adhesive tape, were adopted to isolate fungi from books and a set of aerobiological analyses was performed to characterize the environment of the repository. The presence of E. halophilicum on both books and in the indoor air was confirmed by direct observation of adhesive tape samples, microscopic observations and molecular methods. Moreover, Aspergillus creber and Aspergillus protuberus belonging to the revised group Aspergillus section Versicolores, were also isolated for the first time in Italian conservation environments

Metabolic synergies in the biotransformation of organic and metallic toxic compounds by a saprotrophic soil fungus

The saprotrophic fungus Penicillium griseofulvum was chosen as model organism to study responses to a mixture of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH) and of potentially toxic metals (vanadium, lead) in solid and liquid media. The P. griseofulvum FBL 500 strain was isolated from polluted soil containing high concentrations of HCH isomers and potentially toxic elements (Pb, V). Experiments were performed in order to analyse the tolerance/resistance of this fungus to xenobiotics, and to shed further light on fungal potential in inorganic and organic biotransformations. The aim was to examine the ecological and bioremedial potential of this fungus verifying the presence of mechanisms that allow it to transform HCH isomers and metals under different, extreme, test conditions. To our knowledge, this work is the first to provide evidence on the biotransformation of HCH mixtures, in combination with toxic metals, by a saprotrophic non-white-rot fungus and on the metabolic synergies involved