This survey was designed to study the diversity and occurrence of rhizosphere and rhizoplane
fungi in the protectorate of Assiut in Egypt, followed by testing the ability of the most common
isolated fungal strains to produce mycotoxins. Not many mycological studies have been carried
out to describe the fungal fl ora of this area, which will be of great signifi cance for the endemic
mycobiota. Rhizosphere and rhizoplane samples were collected from the protectorate of Assiut,
which represents one of the largest distinctive regions of newly reclaimed soil at the Assiut
Governorate. The identifi cation of the isolated fungi during our investigation was carried out
using the morphological and microscopic features according to many references and confi rmed
by the Assiut University Mycology Center ( AUMC). The most common four fungal species
were examined for their capability to produce mycotoxins; in addition, chemical confi rmatory
tests for mycotoxins were examined.

This survey was designed to study the diversity and occurrence of rhizosphere and rhizoplane
fungi in the protectorate of Assiut in Egypt, followed by testing the ability of the most common
isolated fungal strains to produce mycotoxins. Not many mycological studies have been carried
out to describe the fungal fl ora of this area, which will be of great signifi cance for the endemic
mycobiota. Rhizosphere and rhizoplane samples were collected from the protectorate of Assiut,
which represents one of the largest distinctive regions of newly reclaimed soil at the Assiut
Governorate. The identifi cation of the isolated fungi during our investigation was carried out
using the morphological and microscopic features according to many references and confi rmed
by the Assiut University Mycology Center ( AUMC). The most common four fungal species
were examined for their capability to produce mycotoxins; in addition, chemical confi rmatory
tests for mycotoxins were examined.

The objective of this survey was to study the diversity of soil fungi, as they play an important
role in knowing the soil quality and increase plant productivity. In this work, the chemical
composition of soil samples in newly reclaimed localities at Assiut Governorate was studied;
mycobiota of those areas were studied reporting some medically important substances
produced by three fungal species, namely Aspergillus terreus, Emericella nidulans, and
Penicillium chrysogenum, which recorded the highest occurrence all over the year in different
studied areas. Soil samples were collected monthly for a whole year from the four selected
reclaimed regions at Assiut Governorate, namely Protectorate of Assiut (PR), El-Ghorayeb
(GH), El-Wady El-Assiuty (WA), and Petroleum’s Farm (PF), and samples were identifi ed using
the morphological and microscopic features according to many references and confi rmed by
Assiut University Mycological Center (AUMC) followed by physiochemical analysis of soil,
including measuring total soluble salts and determining the organic matter content, maximum
and minimum temperatures, relative humidity, and soil texture. The highest numbers of fungal
genera and species were recorded in PR followed by WA and PF, whereas the lowest numbers
were recorded in GH. E. nidulans var. acristata and Penicillium funiculosum were isolated with
moderate frequency from GH; Aspergillus aegyptiacus and Aspergillus ustus were isolated
with moderate frequency from WA; A. aegyptiacus, Eurotium amstelodami, and Fusarium
solani were isolated with moderate frequency from PF; Eurotium repens was isolated only from
GH; Arthrinium sacchari, Cochliobolus sativus, and Fusarium xylarioides were isolated only
from WA; Aspergillus defl ectus, Penicillium expansum, and Rhizopus arrhizus were isolated
only from PF; Aspergillus niger, Fusarilla indica, Fusarium semitectum, and Trimmatostroma
eriodictyonis were isolated only from PR. There are no adequate mycological studies carried out
to describe the fungal fl ora of these areas. Hence, any information on the endemic mycobiota
is of great signifi cance.

The objective of this survey was to study the diversity of soil fungi, as they play an important
role in knowing the soil quality and increase plant productivity. In this work, the chemical
composition of soil samples in newly reclaimed localities at Assiut Governorate was studied;
mycobiota of those areas were studied reporting some medically important substances
produced by three fungal species, namely Aspergillus terreus, Emericella nidulans, and
Penicillium chrysogenum, which recorded the highest occurrence all over the year in different
studied areas. Soil samples were collected monthly for a whole year from the four selected
reclaimed regions at Assiut Governorate, namely Protectorate of Assiut (PR), El-Ghorayeb
(GH), El-Wady El-Assiuty (WA), and Petroleum’s Farm (PF), and samples were identifi ed using
the morphological and microscopic features according to many references and confi rmed by
Assiut University Mycological Center (AUMC) followed by physiochemical analysis of soil,
including measuring total soluble salts and determining the organic matter content, maximum
and minimum temperatures, relative humidity, and soil texture. The highest numbers of fungal
genera and species were recorded in PR followed by WA and PF, whereas the lowest numbers
were recorded in GH. E. nidulans var. acristata and Penicillium funiculosum were isolated with
moderate frequency from GH; Aspergillus aegyptiacus and Aspergillus ustus were isolated
with moderate frequency from WA; A. aegyptiacus, Eurotium amstelodami, and Fusarium
solani were isolated with moderate frequency from PF; Eurotium repens was isolated only from
GH; Arthrinium sacchari, Cochliobolus sativus, and Fusarium xylarioides were isolated only
from WA; Aspergillus defl ectus, Penicillium expansum, and Rhizopus arrhizus were isolated
only from PF; Aspergillus niger, Fusarilla indica, Fusarium semitectum, and Trimmatostroma
eriodictyonis were isolated only from PR. There are no adequate mycological studies carried out
to describe the fungal fl ora of these areas. Hence, any information on the endemic mycobiota
is of great signifi cance.

A total of 278 different isolates of filamentous fungi were screened using synthetic medium for respective ability to produce kojic
acid. Nineteen, six, and five isolates proved to be low, moderate, and high kojic acid producers, respectively. Levels of kojic acid
produced were generally increased when shaking cultivation was used rather than those obtained using static cultivation. A trial for
the utilization of 15 agro-industrial wastes or by-products for kojic acid production by the five selected higher kojic acid producer
isolates wasmade. The best by-product medium recorded wasmolasses for kojic acid. A. flavus numbers 7 and 24 were able to grow
and produce kojic acid on only 12 out of 15 wastes or by-products media. The best medium used for kojic acid production by A.
flavus number 7was rice fragments followed bymolasses,while the best medium used for kojic acid production by A. flavus number
24 was the molasses followed by orange, pea, and rice fragments. An attempt for production of kojic acid using a 1.5 L laboratory
fermentor has been made. Aspergillus flavus number 7 was used and grown on molasses medium; maximumlevel (53.5 g/L) of kojic
acid was obtained after eight days of incubation.

The floristic diversity and vegetation composition in Assiut province were investigated during August, September and October 2015. The data collected from 31 stands covering the study area included the species composition, life forms, chorology and occurrence (Q%). A total of 71 plant taxa belonging to 30 different families were recorded, with Poaceae and Asteracea as the largest families (25.4% and 11.3% of the recorded taxa, respectively). Therophytes represented the largest life form of plants (57.7%), followed by hemicryptophytes (12.7%), phanerophytes (11.3%). Species occurrence (Q-value) revealed that the study area dominated by 29 species (Q-values ≥ 0.2). The cosmopolitan and tropical species (pantropical and paleotropic elements) had the highest percentages among the represented chorotypes. Classification of the data-set yielded 4 vegetation groups (VGs): (A) Echinochloa stagnina-Pluchea dioscoridis, (B) Cyperus alopecuroides-Desmostachya bipinnata, (C) Phragmites australis and (D) Ricinus communis-Solanum nigrum. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) ordination based on species presence-absence data for each species showed the patterns of species composition in the different communities.

The floristic diversity and vegetation composition in Assiut province were investigated during August, September and October 2015. The data collected from 31 stands covering the study area included the species composition, life forms, chorology and occurrence (Q%). A total of 71 plant taxa belonging to 30 different families were recorded, with Poaceae and Asteracea as the largest families (25.4% and 11.3% of the recorded taxa, respectively). Therophytes represented the largest life form of plants (57.7%), followed by hemicryptophytes (12.7%), phanerophytes (11.3%). Species occurrence (Q-value) revealed that the study area dominated by 29 species (Q-values ≥ 0.2). The cosmopolitan and tropical species (pantropical and paleotropic elements) had the highest percentages among the represented chorotypes. Classification of the data-set yielded 4 vegetation groups (VGs): (A) Echinochloa stagnina-Pluchea dioscoridis, (B) Cyperus alopecuroides-Desmostachya bipinnata, (C) Phragmites australis and (D) Ricinus communis-Solanum nigrum. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) ordination based on species presence-absence data for each species showed the patterns of species composition in the different communities.

The current study tends to investigate the removal of cadmium and copper ions by Merismopedia tenuissima, grown in different concentrations of cadmium and copper ions, as well to investigate their effects on growth and metabolism. Sorption isotherms of Langmuir and Freundlich were obtained for the quantitative description of cadmium and copper uptake by M. tenuissima. Langmuir model adequately to describe the data of biosorption for these metals. However, the Freundlich model could work well in case of Cu2+ only. M. tenuissima appears to be more efficient for removing Cd2+ ions than Cu2+. However, the affinity constant of Cu2+ on the biomass of M. tenuissima was higher than Cd2+ indicating that M. tenuissima is more tolerant to Cd2+ phytotoxicity than Cu2+. FTIR analysis of algae with and without biosorption revealed the presence of carboxyl, amino, amide and hydroxyl groups, which were responsible for biosorption of Cd+2 and Cu+2 ions.

Lipid production is an important indicator for evaluating microalgal species for biodiesel production. In this study, a new green microalga was isolated from a salt lake in Egypt and identified as Asteromonas gracilis. The main parameters such as biomass productivity, lipid content, and lipid productivity were evaluated in A. gracilis, cultivated in nutrient-starved (nitrogen, phosphorous), and salinity stress as a one-factor-at-a-time method. These parameters in general did not vary significantly from the standard nutrient growth media when these factors were utilized separately. Hence, response surface methodology (RSM) was assessed to study the combinatorial effect of different concentrations of the abovementioned factors conditions and to maximize the biomass productivity, lipid content and lipid productivity of A. gracilis by determining optimal concentrations. RSM optimized media, including 1.36M NaCl, 1 g/L nitrogen, and 0.0 g/L phosphorus recorded maximum biomass productivity, lipid content and lipid productivity (40.6 mg/L/day, 39.3% and 15.9 mg/L/day, respectively) which agreed well with the predicted values (40.1 mg/L/day, 43.6% and 14.6 mg/L/day, respectively). Fatty acid profile of A. gracilis was composed of C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:3, C18:2, C18:1 and C20:5 and the properties of fuel were also in agreement with international standards. These results suggest that A. gracilis is a promising feedstock for biodiesel production.

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