EMSL Microbiologist Contributes to the Identification of Nine New Species of Fungi

July 9, 2012 - PRLog -- Nine new species of fungi related to Aspergillus versicolor were identified by a group of scientists including Dr. Zeljko Jurjevic, a Senior Mycologist from the corporate headquarters of EMSL Analytical, Inc. Other members of the group included Molecular Geneticist Dr. Stephen Peterson from the USDA, Peoria, IL, and Microbiologist Dr. Bruce W. Horn from the USDA, Dawson, GA.

Aspergillus versicolor is one of the most studied species in section Versicolores. It has been isolated from indoor environments, from soil, various food and animal feed, and it is associated with many health issues of humans and animals. It is a producer of the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin, and its presence can often be used as indicator of “sick building syndrome.”

The nine new species of Aspergillus were named Aspergillus austroafricanus, Aspergillus creber, Aspergillus cvjetkovicii, Aspergillus fructus, Aspergillus jensenii, Aspergillus puulaauensis, Aspergillus subversicolor, Aspergillus tennesseensis, Aspergillus venenatus. Along with the nine new species, five species; A. amoenus, A. protuberus, A. tabacinus, A. sydowii and A. versicolor were accepted as distinct species in the Aspergillus versicolor complex based on molecular and phenotypic differences.

Aspergillus creber was the most frequently isolated species from indoor air samples in the USA, followed by A.  protuberus and A. jensenii.

Prior to the discovery of these nine new species, A. versicolor was a species with documented genetic and phenotypic variation that did not resolve into a clearly recognizable species.

The research has been published in the June 2012 issue of IMA Fungus http://www.imafungus.org/Issue/31/17.pdf (Volume 3: 59-79).

“EMSL Analytical prides itself on having one of the foremost commercial microbiology laboratories in the country, and Dr. Jurjevic’s discoveries underscore how we have earned our standing: the caliber of our staff,” states Joseph Frasca, Senior VP of Marketing at EMSL. “We offer our congratulations to our microbiology team and to Dr. Jurjevic in particular on this impressive achievement.”

For more information about EMSL’s microbiology division, please contact EMSL at 800-220-3675, email info@EMSL.com, or visit www.EMSL.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is a full service testing company providing quality lab services under the same private ownership since 1981. Including the corporate lab facility in Cinnaminson, NJ, EMSL Analytical operates over thirty laboratories nationwide in the US and Canada. We provide analytical services for environmental, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, forensics and materials science, consumer products, food safety, PCR, pharmaceutical, asbestos, lead, and radiological samples. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies. Please see our website for a complete listing of accreditations.