Physically Triggered Morphology Changes in a Novel Acremonium Isolate Cultivated in Precisely Engineered...

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Microbiology
• Bioengineering

Background:

• Fungal growth is influenced by environmental conditions.
• Microfabrication enables the creation of novel culture environments.
• Understanding fungal morphology is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize a novel fungus from a microengineered environment.
• To investigate the formation of unique fungal structures in response to microscale conditions.
• To explore the potential of microfabrication for studying microbial morphology and growth.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of a novel Acremonium species using a microengineered cultivation chip.
• Cultivation within microwells with porous aluminum oxide (PAO) bases.
• Analysis of templated mycelial bundle (TMB) formation and characteristics.

Main Results:

• A novel Acremonium isolate formed highly hydrated, parallel hyphal structures called templated mycelial bundles (TMB).
• TMB formation was triggered by growth in microwells (50-300 μm) with a PAO base.
• TMB morphology remained coherent, allowing exploration via lateral hyphae when nutrients were present.

Conclusions:

• Microengineered cultivation chips are effective for isolating novel fungi and studying their unique morphologies.
• Templated mycelial bundles represent a novel, highly organized fungal structure with implications for understanding microbial growth.
• This approach facilitates the exploration of morphology and growth in microorganisms and microbial communities.