Fig 2. Improved recovery of P. furfuracea associated bacteria with a modified processing protocol and minimal media.

Mean culturable counts (CFU/g) of P. furfuracea ectolichenic bacteria from washed thallus (white bars) and endolichenic bacteria from thallus tissue (grey bars) on complex medium KB and minimal media BBM and MMS, after 7 days of incubation at 25°C under dark conditions. Each bar represents the mean value of counts on each medium from three different thallus samples analyzed in independent experiments. Standard deviations are indicated by vertical lines. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences among culture media nor between ecto- and endolichenic bacteria.