Latest Fungus Stories

Digger wasp larvae use bacteria against infectionsDigger wasps of the genus Philanthus, so-called beewolves, house beneficial bacteria on their cocoons that guarantee protection against harmful microorganisms. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena teamed up with researchers at the University of Regensburg and the Jena Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research "“ Hans-Knoell-Institute - and discovered that bacteria of the genus Streptomyces produce a...

New Tel Aviv University research investigates anti-fungal agents in the sticky "pitchers" of carnivorous plantsIn the tropics, carnivorous plants trap unsuspecting prey in a cavity filled with liquid known as a "pitcher."The moment insects like flies, ants and beetles fall into a pitcher, the plant's enzymes are activated and begin dissolving their new meal, obtaining nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen which are difficult to extract from certain soils. Carnivorous...

They haven't had sex in some 30 million years, but some very small invertebrates named bdelloid rotifers are still shocking biologists "“ they should have gone extinct long ago. Cornell researchers have discovered the secret to their evolutionary longevity: these rotifers are microscopic escape artists. When facing pathogens, they dry up and are promptly gone with the wind."These animals have evolved a way to avoid parasites and pathogens by drying up and blowing away," said Paul...

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...

The efficient methods of a slime mold could inform human engineersWhat could human engineers possibly learn from the lowly slime mold? Reliable, cost-efficient network construction, apparently: a recent experiment suggests that Physarum polycephalum, a gelatinous fungus-like mold, might actually lead the way to improved technological systems, such as more robust computer and mobile communication networks.This revelation comes after a team of Japanese and British researchers observed that the...

An estimated 25,000 Americans develop severe fungal infections each year, leading to 10,000 deaths despite the use of anti-fungal drugs. The associated cost to the U.S. health care system has been estimated at $1 billion a year.Now two Syracuse University scientists have developed new brominated furanones that exhibit powerful anti-fungal properties.The most virulent fungus is Candida albicans, which is carried by about 75 percent of the public. Typically the fungus is harmless but, in...

Mold and mildew may be doomed. Researchers are closer to understanding how these and other fungi grow. "Fungi have a big impact on our dinner plate," said Dr. Brian Shaw, Texas AgriLife Research plant pathologist. "We tend to think that getting food on the table is easy. But fungi are major disease-causing organisms for both plants and animals. With more research, we can find new ways to compete with them." Commonly known fungi are molds, mildews, mushrooms and...

Roughly 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, North America's vast assemblage of large animals "” including such iconic creatures as mammoths, mastodons, camels, horses, ground sloths and giant beavers "” began their precipitous slide to extinction.And when their populations crashed, emptying a land whose diversity of large animals equaled or surpassed Africa's wildlife-rich Serengeti plains then or now, an entirely novel ecosystem emerged as broadleaved trees once kept in...

 A team of researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park has developed a new model system to study fungal infections. The system can be a powerful tool for screening potential drug targets for conditions like thrush, athlete's foot and vaginal yeast infections, which affect millions of people each year but are difficult to treat with existing medications. Using the new model, the researchers also identified a gene that may...

Wild flax plants fight infection even in poor soilChronic stress in humans has been implicated in heart disease, weight gain, and diabetes, among a host of other health problems. Extreme environments, a source of chronic stress, present a challenge even for the hardiest organisms, and plants are no exception. Yet, some species somehow manage to survive, and even thrive, in stressful conditions.A recent article by Dr. Yuri Springer in the November issue of the American Journal of Botany...