Thamnidium is a genusoffungi belonging to the family Mucoraceae.[1]
| Thamnidium | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Mucoromycota |
| Class: | Mucoromycetes |
| Order: | Mucorales |
| Family: | Mucoraceae |
| Genus: | Thamnidium Link (1809) |
| Species | |
The genus was circumscribed in 1809 by Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link.[1]
Thamnidium molds are key participants in the aging process for dry aged beef, producing protease and collagenase enzymes that naturally tenderize the meat.[2] Thamnidium forms pale grey patches of mold called 'whiskers' on fatty areas of a carcass or cut during the aging process.[3]
The genus has also been implicated in the spoiling of meat in cold storage, alongside other fungal genera such as Acremonium, Mucor and Rhizopus.[4]