Rainfall Sparks Electric Chatter Among Forest Mushrooms
A study in the forest on Laccaria bicolor mushrooms, a type of ectomycorrhizal fungi, has revealed that these mushrooms generate fluctuating electrical signals after rainfall,…
Mycology News
Differentiating Friends From Foes Genetically in Fungal Root Microbiomes
Complex microbial communities inhabit plants and modulate their development. Roots especially, host a wide diversity of micro-organisms – including bacteria and fungi – that directly…
Mushroom Growing Out of 50-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Ant Reveals New Species of Fungal Parasite
Oregon State University research has identified the oldest known specimen of a fungus parasitizing an ant, and the fossil also represents a new fungal genus…
Genetically Modified Yeast To Efficiently Make Biofuels From Discarded Plant Matter
The new system streamlines the process of fermenting plant sugar to fuel by helping yeast survive industrial toxins. More corn is grown in the United…
How Some Fungi That Cause Diseases Can Grow Through Tiny Gaps
University of Tsukuba research team sheds new light on how fungi that cause diseases can penetrate tissues by squeezing through tiny gaps between plant or…
COVID-19 Creates Conditions for Emergence of Invasive “Superfungus” in Brazil
Fully occupied intensive care units (ICUs). Physically and mentally exhausted health workers. Chaotically overcrowded hospitals. These and similar problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in…
70-Year-Old Coffee-Killing Fungus Brought Back to Life by Scientists – Here’s Why
Researchers have re-animated specimens of a fungus that causes coffee wilt to discover how the disease evolved and how its spread can be prevented. Coffee…
Alternative to Conventional Fertilizers: Fungi Could Manipulate Bacteria to Enrich Soil With Nutrients
Researchers have discovered a group of soil bacteria that could yield alternatives to conventional fertilizers for enriching soil and improving crop yields. A team of…
New Form of Synthetic Melanin: “Fungal Ghosts” Protect Skin, Fabric From Toxins, Radiation
Inspired by fungus, new form of synthetic melanin acts as natural detoxifier. The idea of creating selectively porous materials has captured the attention of chemists…
Plants Control the Genetics of Microbes With Which They Live in Symbiosis
Researchers from the University of Ottawa have discovered that plants may be able to control the genetics of their intimate root symbionts – the organism…
Reindeer Lichens Are Having More Sex Than Thought – Unexpected Levels of Genetic Diversity
Genetic analysis shows that reindeer lichens reproduce sexually as opposed to asexually more often than researchers thought. In northern Canada, the forest floor is carpeted…
Genome of Alexander Fleming’s Original Penicillin Mold Sequenced for the First Time
Researchers have sequenced the genome of Alexander Fleming’s penicillin mold for the first time and compared it to later versions. Alexander Fleming famously discovered the…
“Completes the Circle”: A 40-Year Scientific Journey Leads to a New Truffle Species
As a first-year graduate student studying truffle ecology at Oregon State University, Dan Luoma attended a scientific meeting in 1981 on Orcas Island in Washington….
Return of the Zombie Cicadas: Manipulative Qualities of Fungal-Infected Flyers Unearthed
Mind games aren’t exclusive to humans. Cicadas infected with the parasitic fungus Massospora unknowingly engage in trickery with their fellow insects, resulting in effective disease…
Bizarre New Parasitic Species Discovered… on Twitter
While many of us use social media to be tickled silly by cat videos or wowed by delectable cakes, others use them to discover new…
Using 10,000 Fungi to Search for New Medical Drugs
An enormous library of products derived from more than ten thousand fungi could help us find new drugs. Researchers from the group of Jeroen den…
Brainless Slime Mold Physarum polycephalum Shows Intelligence
Slime molds are gelatinous amoebae that are classified as protists, a taxonomic group. Slime molds, while brainless, are smarter than they look. Physarum polycephalum can…
UK’s 90 Million Ash Trees Are Likely to be Wiped Out
The UK’s new plan that will deal with ash disease might not come in time, as most of the country’s 90 million ash trees are…
