PENICILLIUM AND ASPERGILLUS DOMINATE A COLLECTION OF CULTURABLE MOLDS FROM A TANNERY IN INDIANA

Moser Leather Tannery in New Albany, Indiana operated for over 140 years as a major producer of leather for products such as saddles and shoelaces. After production halted in 2002, the tannery complex was vacant for several years with plans for redevelopment as modern living space and a tannery museum. Visual inspection of the tannery buildings showed mold colonization on walls, floors and walkways, especially during warm and humid summer months. The objective of this study was to conduct a survey of culturable molds in the tannery. Samples were collected from four locations at the tannery yielding 14 purified isolates. Using both standard phenotypic and DNA-based phylogenetic methods, eight species of mold were identified. The two most common molds at the tannery were Peniciltium followed by Aspergillus. Penicillium brocae was identified from two tannery locations making this the first report of this mold in Indiana.