Paper: Exploration of submerged fungi from flooding in the tropics for cellulose degradation (Annual Meeting and Exhibition 2013 (August 11-15, 2013))

Monday, August 12, 2013

Pavilion (Sheraton San Diego)

Hunsa Punnapayak¹, Sehanat Prasongsuk¹, Pongtharin Lotrakul¹, Tuenchai Kosakul¹, Wichanee Bankeeree¹ and Douglas E. Eveleigh², (1)Plant Biomass Utilization Research Unit, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, (2)Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ

Fungi thriving in the tropics are recognized as valuable resources for biotechnology research and development. Several habitats were explored including the pre and post major flooding in 2011 of Thailand. Several cellulolytic fungi were isolated including Stachybotrys sp., Aspergillus sp., Fusarium lateritium, Penicillum expansum and Trichoderma atroviride. Cellulase, xylanase and amylase enzyme activities were detected. The phylogenetic tree of these submerged fungi from flooding was constructed. Moreover, a mushroom (Coprinus comatus) was commonly found on rotten pieces of furniture.

P74: Exploration of submerged fungi from flooding in the tropics for cellulose degradation