A team of microbiologists are researching whether Aoteaora's fungi could be used to prevent deadly diseases.
University of Auckland associate professor Siouxsie Wiles and a team of experts are studying more than 10,000 fungal cultures collected from plants and soil in Aotearoa and the South Pacific.
They are looking for antibiotics to kill mycobacteria, which can cause deadly diseases including tuberculosis.
Of the 36 fungi cultures that have been analysed so far, Wiles says a handful warrant further research including Lophodermium culmigenum, a plant decay fungus and Trametes coccinea, a wood decay fungus.
The samples were collected over decades and are stored by the Crown Research Institute Manaaki Whenua. But they have yet to be rigorously tested for antimicrobial activity against mycobacterial species, Dr Wiles says.
She says this makes it "an excellent and untapped resource for antibiotic discovery."
Scientists on the study included Alex Grey from the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab, and colleagues in the Faculty of Science led by Professor Brent Copp and at Manaaki Whenua led by Dr Bevan Weir.
"I'd like to say a massive thanks to New Zealand Carbon Farming and Cure Kids for supporting our antibiotic discovery project over the last few years, and also to all the members of the public who have donated to our crowdfunding efforts. We couldn't do our work without that support," Wiles said.
