Project description:The study of the survival of terrestrial microorganisms in Martian conditions, especially in the presence of perchlorates, offers crucial insights for astrobiology. This research investigates the resilience of the extremophilic black fungus Rhinocladiella similis to the exposure to magnesium perchlorate and UV-C radiation, simulating a Martian environment. The results show that R. similis, previously known for its remarkable tolerance to acidic conditions, exhibits significant resistance to UV-C radiation combined with perchlorate and high concentrations of magnesium perchlorate.
Project description:We report a case of chromoblastomycosis in lesions on the chest and foot. Itraconazole was chosen as the initial treatment for this patient, who was followed up for 8 months before becoming noncompliant. The pathogenic fungal species was identified as Rhinocladiella similis by ITS region sequencing. In vitro analyses indicate that the fungus was sensitive to posaconazole and itraconazole. This report presents R. similis as a new agent of chromoblastomycosis and raises the hypothesis that this species could be more resistant to some antifungals than R. aquaspersa.
