Re: Goa scientists discover oldest culturable fungi

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[] Goa scientists discover oldest culturable fungi

Goa scientists discover oldest culturable fungi:-

Panaji | June 06, 2005 3:50:31 PM IST

http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=86054 & cat=India

Scientists from the Biological Oceonography division of National

Institute of Oceonography have recently discovered the oldest

culturable Fungi in the world.

This has been hailed by scientists across the world, and will have

strong impacts in many areas, where scientists were struggling till

date.

Discovery of this Fungi now named " Aspergillus Sydowii " was made

from a sediment core drilled out from a depth of 5904 metres from

the Chagos Trench in the Indian Ocean.

" When we were returning we passed Chagos Trench, next to which

there is one more big trench. Our Chief Scientist Dr. Nagendra said

it would be interesting to take sediment from here and study. This

meant that we had to spend two more days in the sea because we had

already spend 43 days in the sea. We the joint consencus of all the

members we went and took a sediment sampling. We drilled a 4.6 metre

long core from 5000 metres depth in the trench and then 1 full day

we were cutting sections from it. I was doing the Microbiological

works, isolating the Fungi and so on. " said, Dr. Chandralata

Raghukumar.

Various types of age determination techniques including Radiolarian

tests have determined the Fungi to be 4,30,000 years old. this makes

it the oldest living Fungi.

Before this 1,40,000 years old Fungi was discovered by scientists in

ice-cores drilled in Antartica.

" I approached my senior R.R.Nayar and said that i have a Fungus

which is growing under pressure. So he advised me to get the

sediment dated. He gave me Dr. Shyam Murthi Gupta's contact number.

Gupta is an engeologist. I approached him and told him of my

discovery and also asked him to carry out a dating of the sediment.

he used the1 Radiolarian as the index of the age because these are

called Biostratigraphic indxes and using this he said that the Fungi

is around 43 million years old. " said, Dr. Chandralata Raghukumar.

The team of scientists of NIO, headed by Dr. Chandralata Raghukumar,

have now succeeded in culturing this Fungi in laboratories under

high pressure conditions.

Since the depth from which this Fungi has been scooped out is at

around 6 kms in the ocean, it proves that the Fungi can tolerate

very high hydrostatic pressure and low temperatures. This has

generated capabilities of Micro-organisms. this Fungi synthesizes

protease enzymes at cold temperatures, hence NIO scientists have

applied for U.S patent, because such emzymes are needed for

developing new protease - enzymes based detergents which can work in

cold countries without the need of warm water, as is needed by the

present protease based detergents.

This quality of Fungi can also be used in high altitude areas to

decompose garbage and filth. (ANI)

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