A Preliminary Study of Growth Response and Copper Tolerance in the Desert Fungus Podaxis pistillaris
A Preliminary Study of Growth Response and Copper Tolerance in the Desert Fungus Podaxis pistillaris
This study evaluates the copper tolerance of Podaxis pistillaris, a desert fungus isolated from urban areas in Tucson, Arizona, as a potential sustainable approach for remediating soil contamination. The tolerance of two strains, PP1-5 and PP1-6, was investigated in growth media spiked with copper at concentrations similar to those found in Arizona's copper mine tailings. The growth area of the cultures was monitored daily over 21 days. PP1-5 exhibited greater tolerance, with minimal growth area reductions at copper concentrations below 1 mM. In contrast, PP1-6 was more sensitive, showing significant growth area reductions at concentrations above 0.25 mM. These findings enhance our understanding of P. pistillaris’s interactions with copper and its ability to survive in arid and semi-arid soils with elevated copper levels. This study lays the groundwork for future research into the biotechnological applications of P. pistillaris for mycoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils.
Ryan Cotter; Emmanuel Salifu; Caitlyn A. Hall
2025 International Conference on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (ICBBG2025)
General session: Bio-mediated methods for environmental protection and restoration
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICBBG2025-91
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