Aspergillus dhakephalkarii

Scientists at the MACS-Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, have discovered two novel species of black aspergillus — Aspergillus dhakephalkarii and Aspergillus patriciawiltshireae. The team also reported the first geographic record of two other species, A. aculeatinus and A. brunneoviolaceus, from soil samples collected in the Western Ghats.

Industrially Significant Fungi

The genus Aspergillus includes a wide variety of filamentous fungi with important medical, industrial, and ecological applications. Members of the section Nigri (black aspergilli) are especially known for their role in citric acid production, fermentation technology, food mycology, and agriculture.

Need for Systematic Exploration

While numerous Aspergillus species have been documented from the Western Ghats, systematic studies on section Nigri remain limited, highlighting the need for modern taxonomic investigations to better understand their diversity and potential applications.

Characteristics of A. dhakephalkarii

One of the newly identified species, A. dhakephalkarii, is marked by:

• Rapid colony growth with pale to dark brown conidia
• Yellowish-white to yellowish-orange sclerotia
• Uniseriate conidiophores branching into two to three columns
• Smooth-walled, ellipsoidal conidia, distinguishing it from related species that usually produce spherical, echinulate conidia.

Research Context

The discovery is part of a broader doctoral research project on phosphate solubilisation potential of Aspergillus section Nigri in India, contributing to both taxonomy and applied microbial biotechnology.