Im doing an assay where I am testing if certain fungal species can metabolize diesel oil. Can I supply diesel oil in form of vapor? I'm planning to grow fungal isolates in mineral agar medium and invert and add diesel oil on the cover. Is it valid methodology?
Fungi do not breathe. They do not take up sources from air/vapor. Still, i you go with broth medium, you can sparge your vapor into the broth like oxygen sparging in fermenter.
Dear colleague,
Some fungi can take nutrients from the air. One good example is Baudoinia compniacensis, a dematiaceous hyphomycete which is able to metabolize volatilized ethanol and commonly grows on wall surfaces in places were alcoholic drinks are made or stored (http://www.mycologia.org/content/99/4/592.full). Many oligrotrophic fungi are apparently able to use volatilized nutrients in a similar way.
Of course, it would be advisable to test if the fungi you are working with also have this ability, first with a few isolates.
Success in your research!
Hugo
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