New species of halophilic fungus isolated from sediments of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats. New species of halophilic fungus isolated from sediments of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats

Strain Zi4_R2A20_208 is a new species of halophilic fungus isolated in the oligotrophic medium R2A at a 20% salinity from a sediment sample gathered on trench 2 in the lithium extraction factory located in the south of the Salar de Uyuni. Six marker genes (ITS, LSU, SSU, SSU, tef1, RPB2 and tub2) were amplified for the identification of this fungus. Furthermore, it has been morphologically characterised and its tolerance to different salts, both chaotropic and kosmotropic, and to heavy metals has been assessed.