Possible ID: Nigrospora sp.
Classification:
Phylum: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Trichosphaeriales
Family: Incertae sedis
Genus: Nigrospora
Isolation and culturing methods:
Isolated from a plate placed under an air vent in the men’s bathroom on the third floor of the Rooke Biology building for around 10 minutes on February 19th of 2018. After being stored at room temperature for four weeks along with a multitude of other fungi, hyphae of a black fungal sample were taken from this plate and placed onto its own malt extract agar plate. After 3 weeks, a block of hyphae at the edge of the fungal sample were cut from this plate and transferred to another separate MEA plate. This procedure was done two more times to ensure that a pure culture would be obtained.
Culture appearance and growth:
Fungal species was a somewhat fuzzy dark brownish-black fungus that initially looked white to light brown within the first week, but then really darkened afterwards. Mycelia grew relatively slowly in sheet-like layers along and into the medium, still not covering the complete surface of the medium after 5 weeks. Hyphae were septate with no clamp connections and measured around 2-8 μm wide.
Growth after 3 weeks:
Growth after 1 week: Growth after two weeks:
Spore production:
Conidiophores were spherical, or globose, in shape. These structures produced conidia (i.e. asexual spores) that were ellipsoid in shape, measuring around 2-3 x 3-5 μm. These spores were clear but had a slightly greenish tint to them.
*Microscopic images were taken at 400x
*Addendum: After sequencing the DNA of this fungal species and blasting it on the NCBI database, evidence was found to suggest that this species is actually in the Family Phacidiaceae and may in fact be in either the genus Allantophomopsis or Phacidium.
Collector: Tommy Brouse Group: Andriana, Tommy, AJ