All Fungi articles
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NewsGenetic hitchhikers make Aspergillus infections even harder to treat
Resistance to antifungal medicines in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is proving more persistent than previously thought. Research shows that fungicides used in agriculture, even those with a different mode of action from these medicines, can help maintain this resistance. This is because different resistance genes ‘hitchhike’ together.
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NewsThree onion problems, one microbial answer: a five-strain consortium controls basal rot, eases salt-alkali stress and boosts growth
Onion yields and quality are increasingly threatened in China by severe soil salinization and by frequent outbreaks of basal rot. Effective, environmentally friendly measures that address both problems remain scarce. Researchers set out to build a microbial consortium that degrades salt and alkali, controls basal rot, and promotes onion growth.
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NewsResearchers reveal mechanisms of lipid accumulation and compositional remodeling in oleaginous yeast
Microbial oils are promising sustainable lipid sources for food and biofuel applications. Researchers have developed a high-coverage lipidomics workflow and integrated it with transcriptomics to investigate lipid accumulation and compositional changes in Rhodosporidium toruloides under nitrogen limitation.
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NewsSimulator predicts jumping genes’ roles in changing genome size
Researchers have created a new computational tool that works from an inferred ancestral point and evolves forward to the modern-day genome to trace the insertion and deletion dynamics of these ’jumping genes’, known as transposable elements.
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NewsA shield for the fungus, fuel for the immune response
In an earlier study, researchers demonstrated that albumin, the most abundant protein in human blood, can enhance the pathogenic properties of Candida albicans. It has now been revealed that this protein can also trigger an excessive inflammatory response.
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NewsStudy reveals fungi as overlooked players in agricultural antibiotic resistance
Fungi may be helping antibiotic resistance genes survive during livestock manure composting. Researchers found that suppressing fungal activity weakened microbial networks and increased the removal of resistance genes, suggesting that fungi could play an overlooked role in the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsScientists warn deadly chytrid fungus is approaching a unique amphibian haven
An isolated mountain range in Colombia remains free of the deadly chytrid fungus that has devastated amphibians elsewhere in the Americas. But researchers found a highly virulent variant only about 20 kilometres away, creating a rare opportunity to protect a rich amphibian community before the disease arrives.
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NewsHidden fungi may act as masterminds of the forest microbiome
Hidden beneath the forest floor, certain fungi may have an outsized influence on the microbial communities surrounding plant roots. By combining large-scale DNA data with ecological modelling, researchers identified endophytic fungi as potential keystone species capable of reshaping underground microbial networks.
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NewsCould climate change have helped Candida auris become a global pathogen?
How did Candida auris become a global health threat so quickly? A new review suggests climate change may be one factor, with rising environmental temperatures potentially favouring fungi that can tolerate the heat of the human body, although researchers stress that the link has not yet been proven.
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NewsOne strain, two jobs: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1 degrades wheat straw and suppresses aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQ1SQ1 functions as a dual-purpose biocatalyst for wheat straw biomass, breaking down cellulose while inhibiting fungal growth, thereby enhancing straw biotransformation, mitigating mycotoxin risk and supporting early crop growth.
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NewsNew architecture for antifungal drug precisely combats fungal infections in mice without the usual toxicity
By applying a unique molecular “scaffold,” researchers have created a broad-spectrum antifungal drug that homes in on a key fungal compound without disrupting the host’s cholesterol – a frequent side effect of current therapies. The compound’s selectivity could help avoid the toxic side effects that have plagued antifungal therapy regimens for decades.
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NewsHow plants unwittingly help fungal pathogens
Infecting a maize plant is no simple task for a fungal pathogen such as Ustilago maydis. A group of researchers has now uncovered how the fungus detects that it has successfully entered its host. This signal triggers changes in fungal growth.
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OpinionMenopause may have a link to fungal skin infections
For decades, skin concerns associated with menopause, like dry skin, itching, and redness, have often been dismissed as superficial cosmetic concerns inherent to biological ageing. But these changes may reflect the underlying shifts in skin biology.
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NewsMuseum specimens help solve a 50-year mystery of disappearing frogs
A 50-year-old mystery surrounding frog disappearances in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest may finally have an answer. By testing decades-old museum specimens, researchers found that the chytrid fungus arrived just as amphibian populations collapsed, offering some of the clearest evidence yet linking the pathogen to the historic die-off.
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NewsTwo paths to healthier soils: Scientists reveal how straw and biochar store carbon differently
Researchers discovered that combining manure with straw or biochar significantly increased soil organic carbon, but through two distinct pathways. Straw primarily stimulated microbial activity and carbon transformation, while biochar improved soil structure and the physical protection of carbon.
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NewsTurning agricultural waste into soil-building substances: Manganese-modified biochar gives fungi a powerful boost
A new study reveals how manganese-modified biochar helps beneficial fungi break down agricultural residues and accelerate the formation of valuable humic substances, offering a promising approach to sustainable organic waste recycling and soil improvement.
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NewsDeadly fungus Candida auris reveals a new trick for escaping treatment
An accidental laboratory observation has uncovered a new way that Candida auris can survive antifungal treatment. Researchers found that the deadly hospital fungus can duplicate its entire genome and generate different cell populations, giving it more opportunities to adapt, mutate and evade drugs.
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NewsScientists discover ‘D-rex’, a giant fungus from Chinese forests whose unique lineage dates back 65 million years
Deep in the forests of Yunnan, China, scientists have discovered a ‘fungal giant’ that challenges our understanding of how large fungi can become. The newly described species, Dianjunus rex, produces vertical fruiting bodies up to 50 cm high and weighing up to 2.2 kg – the largest known within the phylum Ascomycota.
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NewsSalicylic acid helps apples fight blue mould after harvest
A natural plant signalling compound could help apples fight one of their most common storage diseases. Researchers found that salicylic acid slowed blue mould development while reshaping the fruit’s phenolic metabolism, revealing chemical changes that may help explain how apples resist fungal decay.
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NewsA self-disinfecting fabric eliminates bacteria, fungi and viruses in hospital settings
Researchers have developed a new self-disinfecting cotton fabric capable of eliminating bacteria, fungi and viruses in hospital settings using visible light. The material incorporates two photoactive compounds which, when exposed to light, generate a highly reactive form of oxygen that damages the microorganisms adhering to the fabric.