Two New Species of Aspergillus section Nigri from the Western Ghats

Source:  PIB

Context: Indian scientists from MACS–Agharkar Research Institute (Pune), under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), have discovered two new species of Aspergillus section Nigri from the Western Ghats.

About Two New Species of Aspergillus section Nigri from the Western Ghats:

• Aspergillus Section Nigri:

• • A group of black-coloured fungi, commonly called black aspergilli.
  • Found widely in soil and plants, with important uses in citric acid production, food industry, fermentation, and agriculture.
  • Known as “workhorses of biotechnology” due to their industrial applications.

• Newly Identified Species:

• • Aspergillus dhakephalkarii:
    • Found in the Western Ghats.
    • Grows rapidly, produces brown spores and orange sclerotia (resting structures).
    • Has smooth, oval-shaped spores, unlike many others which have rough, spiny ones.
  • Aspergillus patriciawiltshireae:
    • Also from the Western Ghats.
    • Fast-growing with abundant sclerotia and modest spore production.
    • Has spiny spores and branching structures that split into many columns.
  • Additionally, two species were reported for the first time in India: A. aculeatinus and A. brunneoviolaceus.

• Significance:

• • Shows that the Western Ghats are rich in hidden fungal diversity.
  • Useful for industry (citric acid, food fermentation), agriculture (soil nutrient support), and biotech applications.
  • Strengthens India’s contribution to taxonomy, ecology, and biotechnology research.