Neurospora contamination of cultures in Lao PDR — a sticky rice issue

A major problem with contamination of fungal and bacterial cultures by Neurospora in the diagnostic laboratory of the Plant Pathology Unit at the Plant Protection Centre in Vientiane, Laos, occurred in May 2009 and again in April-May 2010. The problem persisted despite sterilization of all contaminated cultures and stringent disinfection procedures. Initial attempts to identify the source were unsuccessful. However in May 2010 the senior author realised that the orange fungus common on old sticky rice in traditional baskets was Neurospora. A limited survey indicated that this was a key source of conidia in the precinct around the laboratory, and elsewhere in Vientiane. A sample was collected and forwarded to the second author at the Plant and Microbial Biology Department in the University of California, Berkeley, California, USA, for confirmation of the genus, and identification of the species. It was identified as N. intermedia (Tai Mycologia 27:289–294 1935), and the isolate used in the phylogenetic study was deposited in the Fungal Genetics Stock Centre as FGSC10868. This is the first report of a Neurospora species in Lao.