.: Texas A&M Department of Biology, Lab of Dr. Xiaorong Lin: Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus fumigatus colony on a petri-dish plate (left), its conidiophores bearing grayish green conidia (middle), and growing hyphal tips (right)

Aspergillus fumigatus is an ascomyceteous mold. It grows in the hyphal form and produces asexually by conidiation. The grayish green conidia are small (2-3 μm) and can lodge in the alveoli of the lungs once inhaled. Conidia can germinate to form hyphae and invade the lung tissue in host with impaired immunity. Hyphal form is the only form observed during invasive infection. The clinical manifestations of aspergillosis vary from an allergic response, aspergillomas, to severe invasive aspergillosis. Aspergillus fumigatus is a major treat to bone marrow and solid organ transplant patients worldwide. The abilities of A. fumigatus to grow rapidly on food sources with limiting nutrients, to withstand high temperatures, and to produce massive numbers of easily airborne and resilient conidia, all contribute to its pathogenicity.

Research in this lab is focused on characterization of pathogenicity associated growth characteristics of this fungus. The image above shows a Aspergillus fumigatus colony on a petri-dish plate (left), its conidiophores bearing grayish green conidia (middle), and growing hyphal tips (right).