''Penicillium bilaiae'' is a species of native soil

fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

that can be used as a PGPM (plant growth-promoting microorganism). R. Kucey first identified that organic acids excreted by the microorganism can solubilize soil-bound

phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

. The organism can live in

symbiosis Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction, between two organisms of different species. The two organisms, termed symbionts, can fo ...

with several plant species by enhancing phosphate uptake by the

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

structure while feeding off plant waste products. Native soil populations are often low and can be increased by application as an agricultural inoculant. The species name ''bilaiae'' is a transliteration of the Ukrainian scientist Prof. Vera Bilai for whom it is named in 1950 by Chalabuda T.V., Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine. Alternative spellings published in the literature are ''bilaji'' or ''bilaii''.

References

bilaiae Fungus species {{Eurotiomycetes-stub