A NEW FACULTATIVE ANAEROBIC FILAMENTOUS FUNGUS CAPABLE OF GROWTH ON RECALCITRANT TEXTILE DYES AS SOLE CARBON SOURCE

During a search for micro-organisms capable of degrading textile dyes in industrial effluents a facultative anaerobic filamentous fungi was isolated. It had the ability to grow on dyes as sole carbon source und er both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The dyes were not decolorize d, but showed alterations in their ultraviolet-visible spectra indicat ive of some degradative changes to the molecules away from their chrom ophoric centres. Investigation of the degraded dyes using capillary el ectrophoresis has confirmed that structural changes in the dyes are in duced by the fungus. This isolate may contribute to future application s involving microbial treatment processes of dye effluent.