Latest Aspergillus Stories

Scientists offer a natural, safe, and cost-effective solution to prevent future contamination of maize by the killer aflatoxin to secure the food and income of millions of small-scale farmers in Kenya and the rest of Africa.Kenya is again grappling with high levels of aflatoxin contamination that has rendered at least 2.3 million bags of maize unfit for human and livestock consumption and trade, to the dismay of the millions of small-scale farmers that depend on the crop for food and...

Pistachios, almonds and other popular tree nuts might someday be routinely sprayed with a yeast called Pichia anomala. Laboratory and field studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist Sui-Sheng (Sylvia) Hua have shown that the yeast competes successfully for nutrients--and space to grow--that might otherwise be used by an unwanted mold, Aspergillus flavus.A. flavus and some other Aspergillus species can produce troublesome toxins known collectively as aflatoxins.Hua has...

Leafy greens can prevent the ill-effects of toxins in foods like peanut butterThe age old reminder to always eat your greens isn't just for kids anymore.Not only are the vitamins and minerals good for you, but eating greens could also save your life, according to a recent study involving scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).LLNL researchers Graham Bench and Ken Turteltaub found that giving someone a small dose of chlorophyll (Chla) or chlorophyllin (CHL) "” found in...

Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and Montana State University have discovered a fungal protein that plays a key role in causing disease in plants and animals and which also shields the pathogen from oxidative stress. The researchers have found that the fungal protein TmpL is critical for the infection of host tissue and helps these pathogens regulate oxidative stress responses that are caused by the presence of destructive reactive oxygen species, a...

NEWARK, N.J., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BioNeutral Group, Inc. ("BioNeutral") (OTC Bulletin Board: BONU), a chemical technology-based Life Science company announced today that independent laboratory testing performed by ATS Labs shows that Aspergillus Niger mold spores are completely eliminated by the Company's Ygiene(TM) Hospital Grade antimicrobial in record time. ATS Labs, using the EPA required Fungicidal Use Dilution test, showed that approximately 2.5 million Aspergillus Niger...

Three families are suing St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., alleging their children died after exposure to a dangerous fungus. Attorney Steve Yerrid said the children, who were being treated for cancer, died of mold-related infections. He said the fungus was released during a construction project at the hospital, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Wednesday. The report said each child's infection was linked to aspergillus, a common mold found in soil, air and construction dust. A...

Biologists at The University of Nottingham and University College Dublin have announced a major breakthrough in our understanding of the sex life of a microscopic fungus which is a major cause of death in immune deficient patients and also a cause of severe asthma.The discovery of a sexual cycle in the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is highly significant in understanding the biology and evolution of the species and will shed new light on its ability to adapt to new environments and its...

Flooding from Hurricane Katrina caused fungus expert Joan Bennett to believe in so-called toxic mold. The black goo had caused her New Orleans home to smell terrible, and it was then she decided to change her research focus and find out if the fungi that took over most of the flooded homes on the Gulf Coast might make people ill."The overwhelming obnoxiousness of the odor and of the enveloping air made me start to believe in something that I had never believed in before -- sick building...

ViraCor Laboratories, a specialty molecular diagnostic reference laboratory that provides same day turnaround for laboratory tests, today announced the launch of a comprehensive mycology, or fungus, testing service that will allow the company to quickly detect potentially deadly fungal infections in patients. Fast diagnosis of fungal infections can significantly improve patient outcomes and prevent the overuse of costly, toxic antifungal therapy. As part of this new testing service,...

Myconostica, a UK-based medical diagnostic company, has launched a new test to assist medical and scientific professionals identify the two most common causes of fungal pneumonia. The assay, FXG: RESP (Asp +), uses real-time PCR technology to accurately and rapidly identify infections caused by both Aspergillus and Pneumocystis, the company said. According to the company, FXG: RESP (Asp +) can identify Aspergillus and Pneumocystis within four hours, which account for over 95% of cases of...