[1][2] The first isolate of this species was obtained from subglacial ice of the Norwegian island Spitsbergen, one of the coldest places inhabited by humans.

The species could potentially be economically valuable, as recent research has shown promise for the use of A. subglaciale as a biocontrol agent for various post-harvest rot pathogens.

[1] The Aureobasidium genus was first classified in 1891 in Revue Générale de Botanique by Viala, P. and Boyer, G. The genomic differences observed between the four varieties of the A. pullulans species complex are larger than S. cerevisiae and three of its closest relatives.

[1] So far, A. subglaciale specimens have only been isolated from a small number of cold environments, including refrigeration, as well as in radiation polluted soils.

Two highly involved enzymes in this process are trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and vacuolar acidic trehalase (ATH), the prior accelerates trehalose production while the latter inhibits it.

[4] Stress-test experiments have shown that increased salinity triggers intracellular glycerol accumulation in A. subglaciale cultures.

Glycerol helps to maintain intracellular osmotic pressure and prevents plasmolysis in high salinity environments; thus, the accumulation of this compound is common in salinity-adapted fungi.

[8] Such microbial processes provide sustainable and energy-effective alternatives to the common ways in which chemicals are synthesized for commercial and medical use.

[9] An important concern with regard for the biocontrol potential for A. subglaciale is how it attains iron, an essential growth and development compound, oxygen carrier, and enzyme cofactor.

Strains of fungi that produce abundant siderophores have high potential for outcompeting plant pathogens, as iron is a severely limiting resource.

[3] A. subglaciale visibly performed exceptionally against fungal pathogens B. cinerea and P. expansum on apples, further showing promise for the use of the species as a rot-prevention measure on various crops.

Since cultures of A. subglaciale are rare and the fungus is extremely difficult to obtain from the environment, knowledge of this species is growing slowly.