Katrina Sandona 1, Zachary Gossage 1, and Andrea Porras-Alfaro 1,2, Donald Natvig 2, Miriam Hutchinson 2 and Amy Powell 3 1. Department of Biology, Western Illinois University, 2. University of New Mexico, 3. Sandia National Laboratory Thermophilic Fungi in Biological Soil Crust at the Sevilleta LTER Introduction: Biological soil crusts are a very important components of desert ecosystems. These patchy soil areas are dominated by a community of cyanobacteria (photosynthetic bacteria), lichens (association between fungi and algae) and fungi. The fungi that are found in the soil crust form a symbiotic relationship with the plants. These fungi can increase plant’s resistance to low rainfall and increase the plant ability to obtain nutrients from the soil crust (Collins et al, 2008, Porras-Alfaro et al, 2008) Gypsum deposits are mainly composed of calcium carbonate, these low nutrient areas are known to contain a high number of endemic plants and potential new thermophilic fungal species (i.e. fungi that grow at 50 ° C). References: Collins, S. L., Sinsabaugh, R. L., Crenshaw, C., Green, L., Porras-Alfaro, A., Stursova, M., & Zeglin, L. H. (2008). Pulse dynamics and microbial processes in aridland ecosystems. Journal of Ecology, 96(3), doi: /j x Porras-Alfaro, A., Herrera, J., Sinsabaugh, R., Odenbach, K., Lowrey, T. & Natvig, D. (2008). Novel root fungal consortium associated with a dominant desert grass. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74(9), All fungi isolated were true thermophiles showing that soils from arid systems have great potential as a source of thermophilic fungi Results: Biological Soil Crust Methods Plated on MEA + Antibiotics, incubated at 50 °C Isolation of Thermophiles Pure Cultures Molecular Analysis Microscopy Temperature Experiment DNA sequencing Objective: To isolate, identify, and describe thermophilic fungi from gypsum biological soil crust collected in New Mexico All of the cultures at 50 ° showed growth between 0.7 and 4.7 cm after a week. The samples at room temperature did not grow. Three of the samples were identify as Thermomyces. IsolatesSample typeIsolation datePreliminary identification SF - 20Gypsum /15/2010Chaetomium sp. SF - 21Gypsum /12/2010Chaetomium sp. SF - 24Gyp. EYSA /15/2010Thermomyces SF - 31Gypsum /12/2010Thermomyces SF - 34Gypsum /12/2010Thermomyces Lichenized gypsum crust Plated gypsum soil incubated at 50°C Temperature Experiment Electrophoresis gel showing DNA amplifications from pure cultures Fungus growing at 50 ° C Fungus did not grow at 25 ° C Thermophiles are fungi whose optimal growth temperature is between 45 and 50 ° C Acknowledgements: This project was supported by an Undergraduate Research Award from the College of Art and Sciences, and by University of New Mexico, the Biology department at WIU, NSF- Sevilleta LTER. Distribution of biological soil crust from NM and some endemic plant species Isolation of thermophiles Isolates at 50°C. A total of 8 fungi were obtained from gypsum True thermophiles Preliminary identification of thermophilic fungi Conclusions: