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UrduIn Senegal, groundnut and maize are commonly contaminated with highly toxic, cancer-causing chemicals called aflatoxins, which are produced by fungi in the genus Aspergillus when they infect crops. The main aflatoxin-producing species is A. flavus . This contamination typically occurs…
Tag: MYCOLOGY
Molds damage the lung’s protective barrier to spur future asthma attacks
MADISON, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have identified a new way that common Aspergillus molds can induce asthma, by first attacking the protective tissue barrier deep in the lungs. In both mice and humans, an especially strong response to…
Scientists create model to predict multipathogen epidemics
Zooplankton study shows within-host pathogen interactions can predict epidemic severity
Scientists create model to predict multipathogen epidemics
Zooplankton study shows within-host pathogen interactions can predict epidemic severity
Study unravels how our immune system deals with fungal and viral infections
The body’s immune response to fungal infections changes when a patient is also infected by a virus, according to new research which investigated the two types of infection together for the first time. The study, carried out by researchers at…
Illinois study shows universally positive effect of cover crops on soil microbiome
URBANA, Ill. – Only a fraction of conventional row crop farmers grow cover crops after harvest, but a new global analysis from the University of Illinois shows the practice can boost soil microbial abundance by 27%. The result adds to…
Study unravels how our immune system deals with fungal and viral infections
The body’s immune response to fungal infections changes when a patient is also infected by a virus, according to new research which investigated the two types of infection together for the first time. The study, carried out by researchers at…
Illinois study shows universally positive effect of cover crops on soil microbiome
URBANA, Ill. – Only a fraction of conventional row crop farmers grow cover crops after harvest, but a new global analysis from the University of Illinois shows the practice can boost soil microbial abundance by 27%. The result adds to…
First genetic evidence of resistance in some bats to white-nose syndrome, a devastating fungal disease
ANN ARBOR–A new study from University of Michigan biologists presents the first genetic evidence of resistance in some bats to white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that has decimated some North American bat populations. The study involved northern Michigan populations…
UMD-led study named Science’s most impactful paper of 2019
American Association for the Advancement of Science awards Newcomb Cleveland prize to study of transgenic fungus designed to control malaria-carrying mosquito populations in West Africa
How old are they? Some non-photosynthetic orchids consist of dead wood
Botanists have long held a fascination for heterotrophic plants, not only because they contradict the notion that autotrophy (photosynthesis) is synonymous with plants, but also because such plants are typically rare and ephemeral. However, it is still a matter of…
Can a tiny invasive snail help save Latin American coffee?
ANN ARBOR–While conducting fieldwork in Puerto Rico’s central mountainous region in 2016, University of Michigan ecologists noticed tiny trails of bright orange snail excrement on the undersurface of coffee leaves afflicted with coffee leaf rust, the crop’s most economically important…
Can a tiny invasive snail help save Latin American coffee?
ANN ARBOR–While conducting fieldwork in Puerto Rico’s central mountainous region in 2016, University of Michigan ecologists noticed tiny trails of bright orange snail excrement on the undersurface of coffee leaves afflicted with coffee leaf rust, the crop’s most economically important…
Study shines light on spread of Candida auris
Washington, DC – January 22, 2020 – Candida auris is capable of forming high burden biofilms, which may help explain why this fungal pathogen is spreading in hospitals worldwide, according to a study published this week in mSphere , an…
Study shines light on spread of Candida auris
Washington, DC – January 22, 2020 – Candida auris is capable of forming high burden biofilms, which may help explain why this fungal pathogen is spreading in hospitals worldwide, according to a study published this week in mSphere , an…
Study shines light on spread of Candida auris
Washington, DC – January 22, 2020 – Candida auris is capable of forming high burden biofilms, which may help explain why this fungal pathogen is spreading in hospitals worldwide, according to a study published this week in mSphere , an…
Discovery of beneficial fungal taxa may help restore native plant in the PNW
Camas, a seed-producing forb, grows in prairie and wetland habitats in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and carries profound prehistoric and current significance as a food resource and article of commerce among indigenous cultures of the PNW. The forb once flourished…
Discovery of beneficial fungal taxa may help restore native plant in the PNW
Camas, a seed-producing forb, grows in prairie and wetland habitats in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and carries profound prehistoric and current significance as a food resource and article of commerce among indigenous cultures of the PNW. The forb once flourished…
Grower citizen science project uses collaboration to improve soil health
West Texas cotton growers face many environmental challenges, including rising temperatures, higher temperature extremes, less rainfall, and a decline in groundwater supplies. While generations of growers have accumulated considerable knowledge about addressing these and other challenges, they can benefit from…
Genes controlling mycorrhizal colonization discovered in soybean
URBANA, Ill. – Like most plants, soybeans pair up with soil fungi in a symbiotic mycorrhizal relationship. In exchange for a bit of sugar, the fungus acts as an extension of the root system to pull in more phosphorus, nitrogen,…
Grower citizen science project uses collaboration to improve soil health
West Texas cotton growers face many environmental challenges, including rising temperatures, higher temperature extremes, less rainfall, and a decline in groundwater supplies. While generations of growers have accumulated considerable knowledge about addressing these and other challenges, they can benefit from…
Genes controlling mycorrhizal colonization discovered in soybean
URBANA, Ill. – Like most plants, soybeans pair up with soil fungi in a symbiotic mycorrhizal relationship. In exchange for a bit of sugar, the fungus acts as an extension of the root system to pull in more phosphorus, nitrogen,…
Long-dormant disease becomes most dominant foliar disease in New York onion crops
New York is the fifth largest producer of onion bulbs in the United States, producing over 110,000 metric tons from over 2,800 hectares. Most of these onions are grown on high organic matter soils, where foliar disease management is crucial…
Scientists have spotted new compounds with herbicidal potential from sea fungus
Scientists of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) and the G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (FEB RAS) together with German colleagues spotted six new and three already known biologically active compounds in a new strain of the fungus Penicillium…
Using fungi to search for 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 Hertog at the Hubrecht Institute , in collaboration with researchers from the Westerdijk Institute and…
Using fungi to search for 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 Hertog at the Hubrecht Institute , in collaboration with researchers from the Westerdijk Institute and…
Scientists uncover resistance genes for deadly ash tree disease
New research has identified the genetic basis of resistance to ash dieback in UK trees, opening up new avenues for conservation. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew sequenced the DNA from over 1,250…
Scientists uncover resistance genes for deadly ash tree disease
New research has identified the genetic basis of resistance to ash dieback in UK trees, opening up new avenues for conservation. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew sequenced the DNA from over 1,250…
Lichens are way younger than scientists thought
You’ve probably seen a lichen, even if you didn’t realize it. If you’ve ever meandered through the forest and wondered what the crusty stuff on trees or rocks was, they’re lichens, a combination of algae and fungi living together almost…
Chitin-binding proteins override host plant’s resistance to fungal infection
An insoluble complex carbohydrate, chitin makes up fungal walls and plays a significant role in the interaction between fungal pathogens and their plant hosts. Plant cells harbor immune receptors that perceive chitin and work to stop fungal infection. However, fungal…
Predicting evolution
What survives, thrives and dominates over a thousand generations? The answer might be even more complex than previously thought
Chitin-binding proteins override host plant’s resistance to fungal infection
An insoluble complex carbohydrate, chitin makes up fungal walls and plays a significant role in the interaction between fungal pathogens and their plant hosts. Plant cells harbor immune receptors that perceive chitin and work to stop fungal infection. However, fungal…
Predicting evolution
What survives, thrives and dominates over a thousand generations? The answer might be even more complex than previously thought
Water mold research leads to greater understanding of corn diseases
Corn is a staple feed and biofuel crop with a value close to $3.7 billion in the Michigan economy alone. However, knowledge about seedling pathogens in Michigan corn fields is limited. A group of scientists in the Department of Plant,…
Water mold research leads to greater understanding of corn diseases
Corn is a staple feed and biofuel crop with a value close to $3.7 billion in the Michigan economy alone. However, knowledge about seedling pathogens in Michigan corn fields is limited. A group of scientists in the Department of Plant,…
Stingless bee species depend on a complex fungal community to survive
A report published in PLOS ONE describes key roles of various microorganisms in the development of the larvae of Scaptotrigona depilis. Researchers warn that this symbiotic relationship is threatened by the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
Data mining applied to scholarly publications to finally reveal Earth’s biodiversity
At a time when a million species are at risk of extinction, according to a recent UN report, ironically, we don’t know how many species there are on Earth, nor have we noted down all those that we have come…
High rates of ‘cold-loving’ fungus infection found in frogs from warm environments
Disease reservoirs may contribute to worldwide decline of frog populations
Taming the wild cheese fungus
Washington, DC – October 15, 2019 – The flavors of fermented foods are heavily shaped by the fungi that grow on them, but the evolutionary origins of those fungi aren’t well understood. Experimental findings published this week in mBio offer…
Scientists discover interaction between good and bad fungi that drives forest biodiversity
University of Maryland and Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers found that differences in soil fungus explain why tree species fare better in small numbers, a phenomenon that promotes forest diversity
Novel material with strong action against fungi and tumors was developed
Researchers have created a composite with antifungal properties that are 32 times greater than those of silver by irradiating a metallic tungstate with electrons and femtosecond laser.
A new route to blocking children’s bone cancer
A study in mice showed that reducing a particular hormone signal keeps the cancer from growing and spreading
Morris Animal Foundation awards more than $1 million for wildlife research grants
DENVER/September 27, 2019 – Morris Animal Foundation, a leader in advancing animal health, has awarded more than $1 million in wildlife health research grants, supporting 17 studies. The studies cover a diverse set of critical health challenges, including low fertility…
Morris Animal Foundation awards $940K for new studies benefiting horse/alpaca health
DENVER/September 26, 2019 – Morris Animal Foundation, a leader in advancing animal health, has awarded grants totaling $940,000 to 12 research projects in horse and alpaca health. The studies will help veterinary scientists improve the well-being of these large animals…
Unique mycology reference pairs genus descriptions with 1,000-plus original watercolors
According to mycologist, author, and artist Miguel Ulloa, “The best way to understand and remember scientific names is to understand their component parts or roots.” This philosophy is the inspiration for Illustrated Generic Names of Fungi : Etymology, Descriptions, Classifications,…
Clostridium difficile infections may have a friend in fungi
Washington, DC – August 28, 2019 – The pathogen Clostridium difficile , which causes one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in the United States, may have accomplices that until now have gone largely unnoticed. This week in mSphere ,…