Isolation and molecular identification of microorganisms isolated from soils contaminated with heavy metals in Mosul city

This research is concerned with organisms isolated from soils contaminated with heavy metals in industrial and residential areas in Mosul, the center of Nineveh Governorate, and the diagnosis of these organisms using molecular biology techniques. Samples were collected from four locations in the city between the industrial area and residential neighborhoods. Soil samples were analyzed, and dilutions were prepared, then the dilutions were grown on potato extract and dextrose (PDA) medium for the development of fungi and Nutrient agar for bacterial development. The dilutions were planted by the casting method by three replications, then the process of purifying the fungal and bacterial colonies was carried out using the traditional methods. To diagnose these pure colonies using PCR technique, colonies of fungi were grown on the medium of PDA, and bacteria were grown on the medium of nutritious broth. As a result, nine fungal species were diagnosed; two of them are new undiagnosed genera that have been registered in the gene bank, four of them contain genetic mutations, and three of them are known and previously diagnosed fungi. As for bacteria, two new strains were isolated and registered in the gene bank among the four diagnosed types. And some of these genera exhibited severe resistance to antibiotics, while others showed moderate resistance, in contrast to the control, which was very sensitive to antibiotics.