Effects Of Microampere-Scale Wireless Conductive Microelectrostimulation on the Growth of Aspergillus fumigatus in Single-Dish Electroculturomics Setu

The exposure to electric amenities, both fields and current, affects microbial growth and its systematic study in species, substrates and specific settings defines the Electroculturom-ics. In this context, the effect of microcurrents on facultative microbial pathogens remains controversial, and thus restricts the wide clinical use of such amenities. This study pre-sents preliminary observations in a low-replicate in vitro system. Solid cultures in Sabouraud Glucose Agar of the ubiquitous mold Aspergillus fumigatus were repeatedly treated with a commercially available device performing wireless conductive microelec-trostimulation by 3.5 μA microcurrent routed by spraying negatively charged air particles onto solid cultures in modified petri dishes. The treated cultures displayed increased growth compared to standard ones, apperceived as visually apparent differences in myce-lial texture; the radial growth rate of the mycelium remained unaltered. The increased growth was positively related to the duration of the treatment. At the same time, second-ary development (new mycelial loci within the dish) was greatly upheld due to treatment, possibly due to the spraying creating microairstreams dislocating the fungal spores. These results imply complex kinetics of mycelial growth both with and without treatment, since the folding of the mycelial mat is observed regularly. Both the fungus' response to the elec-trostimulation and the possible revision of growth kinetics might translate to prospects for biotechnological and bioremediation applications but may also imply biomedical com-plications, regarding infection dynamics of mycelial fungi and their in situ resistance to immune responses and therapeutic treatment if subjected to such ES in vivo.