GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND Reducing occupant exposure to indoor mold is the goal of this research, through the efficacy testing of antimicrobial cleaners. Often mold contaminated building materials are not properly removed, but instead surface cleaners are applied in an attempt to alleviate the problem. The efficacy of antimicrobial cleaners to remove, eliminate or control mold growth on surfac...

BACKGROUND Stachybotrys microspora triprenyl phenols (SMTPs) are a novel family of small molecules that enhance both activation and fibrin-binding of plasminogen. While their effects on fibrinolysis have been characterized in vitro, little is known about their activity in vivo with respect to plasminogen activation and blood clot clearance. RESULTS To select a potent SMTP congener for the eva...

Adverse health effects have been associated with dampness and microbial exposure in buildings, but the possible pathophysiological mechanisms behind these effects are still poorly understood. Although previous studies have shown that certain microbes and microbial components have clear inflammatory and cytotoxic potentials, the complex mixture of microbial species, their spores, metabolites and...

In this study, a novel FIP named FIP-sch3 has been identified and characterised. FIP-sch3 was identified in the ascomycete Stachybotrys chartarum, making it the second FIP to be identified outside the order of Basidiomycota. Recombinant FIP-sch3 (rFIP-shc3) was produced in Escherichia coli and purified using GST-affinity magnetic beads. The bioactive characteristics of FIP-sch3 were compared to...

BACKGROUND Mould-attributed symptoms have included features which overlap with unexplained syndromes such as sick building syndrome. OBJECTIVES We describe questionnaire and chart review findings in patients following exposure to moulds which include Stachybotrys and compare responses with two control groups. METHODS Thirty-two patients presented with symptoms attributed to mould exposures....