Experiment #10:

Collection and Identification of

Moulds

3A - Biochemistry
Group 7
Nuguid, A.
Pangan, E.
Onia, P.
Pascual, A.

To determine possible sources of moulds

To identify moulds using dichotomous keys
and picture keys
To understand food contamination due to
moulds

Are fungi that can be found both indoors and

outdoors
Grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions and
spread and reproduce by making spores
Aid in the break down of dead material and recycle
nutrients in the environment
Occurs on damp or decaying organic matter caused
from the growth of fungi
Used in the production of drugs and certain food
products

Outdoors - found in shady, damp areas or

places where leaves or other vegetation is
decomposing
Indoors - found where humidity levels are
high, such as basements or showers.

Vegetative Parts
Septum - partitions
Mycelia (pl. Mycelium) mass of hyphae
Hypha (pl. Hypahe) long, branching and filamentous
vegetative structures

Reproductive Parts
Conidiophore specialized stalks
Phialide dilated part of conidiophores
Conidia asexual spores

Conidia
Conidiophore

Hypha

Septum

Cladosporium airborne-fungi
Penicillium blue or green Mould fungi
(kingdom Fungi) that exists as asexual forms
(anamorphs, or deuteromycetes)
Alternaria an important allergy causing fungus
with airborne spores and mycelial fragments
Aspergillus is a fungus whose spores are present
in the air we breathe, but does not normally cause
illness

exposure to moulds can cause symptoms such

as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or
skin irritation. Some people, such as those
with serious allergies to moulds, may have
more severe reactions

Collection
Inoculation
Incubation
Isolation

Moulds were collected from different samples

Spores from the sample moulds were made into a suspension using
distilled water
A drop of the suspension was inoculated in PDA plates

Agar plates were left to incubate at room temperature for one

week

Spores from the different colonies were inoculated in PDA and SBA
plates

Agar plates were incubated at room temperature for one week

Incubation
Identification

Cultural and morphological characteristics were noted and

compared to a dichotomous key

Mould Sample A
after three days of
incubation
isolated from starch
solution
yellow, loose colony
surface with green center

Mould Sample A
after ten days of
incubation
isolated from starch
solution
green, loose colony
surface

Mould Sample A

Mould Sample B
after three days of
incubation
isolated from bread
dark green, compact
colony surface

Mould Sample B
after ten days of
incubation
isolated from bread
dark green, compact
colony surface; dark
green, slightly wrinkled
colony surface

Mould Sample B

Penicillium sp.

Mould Sample C
after three days of
incubation
isolated from

Aspergillus oryzae
culture
loose colony surface
with yellow center

Mould Sample C
after ten days of
incubation
isolated from

Aspergillus oryzae
culture
loose colony surface

Mould Sample C

Mould Sample A
(at 1000x)

Aspergillus sp.

A. oryzae

Mould Sample B

(at 1000x)

Penicillum sp.

Mould Sample C

(at 400x)

A. oryzae

Bandyopadhyay, R., Bramel-Cox, P.J., Hall, A.J., Navi, S.S. (1999) A Pictorial Guide for the Identification of
Mould Fungi on Sorghum Grain. Information Bulletin No.59. International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics. Andrah Pradesh, India
Nissen, L. (2012) Methods to microscopically observe and identify asexual fungal structures. Retrieved from
http://ldnissen30269.blogspot.com/2012/09/lab-3.html November 06 2014
(2014) moulds. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/Mould/faqs.htm
November 06 2014
(2014) Mould Types Found in Homes. Mould-Advisor. Retrieved from http://www.Mouldadvisor.com/Mould-types.html
November 06 214
Fungi and moulds. Retrieved from http://www.kdheks.gov/radiation/download/Fungi_and_moulds.pdf
November 06 2014
Identification of Moulds. Retrieved from http://website.nbmmnb.ca/mycologywebpages/Moulds/Identification.html October 24 2014