What are the Limitations of Using Ergosterol as a Biomarker?
While ergosterol is a valuable biomarker, it has certain limitations:
Specificity: Although ergosterol is specific to fungi, it does not distinguish between different fungal species, which could be important in certain epidemiological studies. Environmental Degradation: Ergosterol can degrade under certain environmental conditions, potentially leading to underestimation of fungal biomass. Sample Complexity: The presence of other organic compounds in complex samples can interfere with the accurate quantification of ergosterol.
