Fenotipska karakterizacija črnim kvasovkam podobnih gliv izoliranih s površine fotovoltaičnih panelov

Jelenko, Marina (author), Zalar, Polona (mentor)

Fotovoltaični paneli so izpostavljeni ekstremnim okoljskim dejavnikom (UV, suša, temperaturna nihanja), kar otežuje vendar ne prepreči rasti mikroorganizmov (gliv, kvasovk, bakterij in arhej) in nastanek biofilmov. Ta biološka obrast skupaj z odlaganjem površinskih delcev zmanjšuje učinkovitost panelov, saj ovira dostop svetlobe do fotovoltaičnih celic. V nalogi smo preučili 28 izolatov, osamljenih s površin fotovoltaičnih panelov. Gojili smo jih na različnih gojiščih (MEA, OA, PDA, PNA in DG-18) in pri različnih temperaturah (4 ‒ 40 °C). S poravnano nukletotidnih zaporedij regije ITS s programom MEGA7, izrisom filogenetskega drevesa in uporabe programa BLAST ter fenotipskih lastnosti smo izolate uvrstili v deblo Ascomycota, v razrede Arthoniomycetes, Eurotiomycetes in Dothiodeomycetes, v rodove Phaeococcomyces, Neophaeococcomyces, Knufia, Trichomerium, Coniosporium, Dothiora, Constantinomyces, Neocatenulostroma, Capnobotryella, Elasticomyces, Neocatenulostroma, Neospissiomyces, med njimi je enajst še nepoimenovanih vrst. Sorodnost med izolati smo ugotavljali tudi z metodo MALDI-TOF MS. Na podlagi mikroskopskih značilnosti smo ugotovili, da so ključne lastnosti preučevanih taksonov, ki vplivajo na razrast in preživetje ekstremnega okolja fotovoltaičnih panelov, melanizacija (ščiti pred UV-sevanjem, deluje kot antioksidant in sodeluje pri termoregulaciji), meristematska/mikrokolonijska rast (boljša temperaturna toleranca, zmanjšano izsuševanje), ovoji iz EPS (olajšana adhezija, zaščitna mreža, ki omogoča preživetje ob temperaturnih in vodnih nihanjih), specifične reproduktivne strukture (endokonidiji in artrokonidiji zmanjšujejo energetski vložek razmnoževanja). Analiza MALDI-TOF MS se je izkazala za dopolnilo analizi regije ITS, saj je potrdila specifičnost proteinskega profila za razlikovanje med vrstami v primerih, ko je bila regija ITS preveč ohranjena za njihovo razlikovanje.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: glive, fotovoltaični paneli, gojenje, mikromorfologija, makromorfologija, fenotip, MALDI-TOF
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publisher: [M. Jelenko]
• Year: 2026
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179038
• UDC: 579.26:582.28:697.329
• COBISS.SI-ID: 267277315
• Publication date in RUL: 04.02.2026

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Fenotypic characterization of black yeast-like fungi isolated from the surface of photovoltaic panels

Abstract

Photovoltaic panels are exposed to extreme environmental factors (UV, drought, temperature fluctuations), which complicates but does not prevent the growth of microorganisms (fungi, yeasts, bacteria and archaea) and the formation of biofilms. This biological growth, together with the deposition of surface particles, reduces the efficiency of the panels, as it hinders the access of light to the photovoltaic cells. In this paper, we studied 28 isolates isolated from the surfaces of photovoltaic panels. We cultivated them on different media (MEA, OA, PDA, PNA and DG-18) and at different temperatures (4 ‒ 40 °C). By aligning the nucleotide sequences of the ITS region with the MEGA7 program, constructing the phylogenetic tree and using the BLAST program, and phenotypic characteristics, we classified the isolates among Ascomycota, into the classes Arthoniomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Dothiodeomycetes, and genera Phaeococcomyces, Neophaeococcomyces, Knufia, Trichomerium, Coniosporium, Dothiora, Constantinomyces, Neocatenulostroma, Capnobotryella, Elasticomyces, Neocatenulostroma, Neospissiomyces, among which eleven species are still unnamed. The relationship among isolates was also determined using the MALDI-TOF MS method. Based on microscopic images, we found that the key features of the studied taxa that affect the growth and survival of the extreme environment of photovoltaic panels are melanization (protects against UV radiation, acts as an antioxidant and participates in thermoregulation), meristematic/microcolonial growth (better temperature tolerance, reduced desiccation), EPS sheaths (facilitated adhesion, a protective network enabling survival during temperature and water fluctuations), specific reproductive structures (endoconidia and arthroconidia reduce the energy input of reproduction). MALDI-TOF MS analysis proved to be a complement to the analysis of the ITS region, as it confirmed the specificity of the protein profile for distinguishing between species in cases where the ITS region was too conserved to distinguish between species.

• Keywords: fungi, photovoltaic panels, cultivation, micromorphology, macromorphology, phenotype, MALDI-TOF