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Microbial adaptations to extreme environments can lead to biotechnological applications. This study aimed to evaluate the resistance of Antarctic Cladosporium to adverse conditions (temperature, salinity, UV radiation, and nutrients) and refine their taxonomy. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis using ITS-act markers resulted in a more accurate taxonomic identification, revealing the presence of five different species, belonging to the complexes C. cladosporioides and C. sphaerospermum. The growth at different temperatures indicates that the soil isolates LAMAI 564 and 1800 (phylogenetically closely related) and LAMAI 2541 are psychrophilic, while the other isolates are psychrotolerant. The fungi isolated from the saline samples LAMAI 595, 616, and 1369 showed better growth results at higher salinity (15%). The fungi most resistant to UV radiation were isolated from terrestrial and marine samples (LAMAI 595, 616, 1800, and 564). LAMAI 595 and 616 (phylogenetically closely related and isolated from the same kind of sample) showed the capacity of nutritional versatility, growing well in both rich and poor-nutrient media. The fungus LAMAI 595 was the most promising for biotechnological application, exceeding the other isolates in the harsh conditions studied. The resistance of the Antarctic Cladosporium to adverse conditions opens new perspectives in the field of applied microbiology of extremophiles.

The higher airborne microbial concentration in indoor areas might be responsible for the adverse indoor air quality, which relates well with poor respiratory and general health effects in the form of Sick building syndromes. The current study aimed to isolate and characterize the seasonal (winter and spring) levels of culturable bio-aerosols from indoor air, implicating human health by using an epidemiological health survey. Microorganisms were identified by standard macro and microbiological methods, followed by biochemical testing and molecular techniques. Sampling results revealed the bacterial and fungal aerosol concentrations ranging between (300-3650 CFU/m3) and (300-4150 CFU/m3) respectively, in different microenvironments during the winter season (December-February). However, in spring (March-May), bacterial and fungal aerosol concentrations were monitored, ranging between (450-5150 CFU/m3) and (350-5070 CFU/m3) respectively. Interestingly, Aspergillus and Cladosporium were the majorly recorded fungi whereas, Staphylococcus, Streptobacillus, and Micrococcus found predominant bacterial genera among all the sites. Taken together, the elevated levels of bioaerosols are the foremost risk factor that can lead to various respiratory and general health issues in additional analysis, the questionnaire survey indicated the headache (28%) and allergy (20%) were significant indoor health concerns. This type of approach will serve as a foundation for assisting residents in taking preventative measures to avoid exposure to dangerous bioaerosols., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.