Growth of fungi in NaCl-MgSO4 brines

Previous investigations have shown that common fungi of the Penicillium-Aspergillus group can be grown in a variety of brines or on moist salt crystals. This simulates salt flats as well as sizeable waterbodies stabilized as saturated brines such as Don Juan Pond (Antarctica), the Great Salt Lake of Utah, and the Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley. In general, salt media rich in KCl are favored over other alkali halides; the media become more selective as the salt concentration rises and nutrient requirements become more complex. In the present paper, it is shown that media which resemble the Dead Sea salt mix can, in fact, support the growth of selected fungal strains, even in the absence of reduced organic nutrients other than glucose. Such media may serve as models for localized microhabitats on Mars.