All Fungi articles
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NewsFungus-powered farming: Bigger harvests, better taste
Researchers have identified a natural, eco-friendly way to significantly increase agricultural yields while also improving the quality and taste of produce. The study focuses on an extract derived from the yeast-like fungus Pseudozyma aphidis.
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NewsThe hunt for red: Chromatin-mediated upregulation of Monascus pigments in Talaromyces purpurogenus OUCMDZ-019 via disruption of Ash2
The industrial application of Monascus pigments has been hindered by three key bottlenecks: unstable yield, poor environmental stability, and the risk of contamination by citrinin. Researchers adopted an epigenetic derepression strategy to unlock the hidden biosynthetic potential of MPs in Talaromyces purpurogenus OUCMDZ-019.
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NewsProtists and bacteria form secret alliance to stop fusarium wilt
Scientists have uncovered how phagotrophic protists team up with beneficial bacteria to suppress watermelon Fusarium wilt. Through microbial sequencing and ecological network analysis, they found that nutrient imbalance disrupts these partnerships, allowing the fungal pathogen to spread.
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NewsInvasion, restoration, and the surprising season for soil life
Microbes beneath our feet quietly orchestrate the health of ecosystems, but their seasonal rhythms remain a mystery—especially in coastal wetlands. A new study uncovers a surprising twist: microbial diversity and interaction networks are richer and more intricate in winter than in summer.
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NewsStudy reveals how strawberries and raspberries were ambushed by fungal parasites
Plant diseases often arise when the pathogens that cause disease are introduced into new territories where native plants don’t recognize the pathogen and therefore may have minimal defenses against it. But how often does the reverse happen?
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NewsScientists discover ‘hidden switch’ in immune cells that helps the body kill deadly fungus
Scientists have discovered a “control switch” inside our immune cells that helps the body destroy dangerous fungal infections. A protein called RAB5c helps white blood cells kill Aspergillus fumigatus – an airborne fungus that can cause life‑threatening lung infections in people with weakened immune systems.
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NewsSwansea spin-out Bionema Group receives second King’s Award for Enterprise
Bionema Group Ltd, a Swansea University spin-out specialising in biological crop protection and sustainable agriculture, has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2026. It highlights Bionema’s contribution to developing environmentally sustainable alternatives to synthetic pesticides.
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NewsIron minerals help decide whether dissolved organic matter becomes microbial food or long-term carbon
A new study shows how iron oxide minerals can reshape dissolved organic matter before microbes begin to break it down. The research focuses on goethite, and reveals that mineral adsorption does not simply remove organic matter from water.
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NewsBoyce Thompson Institute names Dr. Natalie Hoffmann inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellow
How do beneficial fungi grow into and through plant cells without destroying them in the process? That question sits at the center of Dr. Natalie Hoffmann’s research – and it’s what earned her the inaugural Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).
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NewsHow river DNA can track fish, frogs, fungi and human feces — all at once
A single scoop of water from an Irish river revealed evidence not only of Ireland’s only frog species, but also signs of the dreaded B. dendrobatidis fungus, marking the first time this devastating amphibian disease has been spotted in the country and exposing a previously unknown risk to Ireland’s frog population.
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NewsDNA analyses uncover what is hiding under the cap plaguing the white button mushroom industry
Researchers have uncovered that bacterial blotch is not caused by a single disease-causing bacteria or pathogen as originally learned, but by a complex of pathogenic bacterial species that thrive in the indoor controlled, humid environments where they are grown.
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NewsKey magic mushroom ingredient makes fish less aggressive and lazier
Psilocybin, the chemical compound in magic mushrooms, may reduce energetically costly social behaviors like aggressive swimming bursts, shows a study demonstrating the first evidence of a calming effect in fish.
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NewsResearchers uncover hidden health risks from urban airborne microbes
Researchers have discovered that seemingly insignificant microbial components in the air, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and cellular debris, pose a long-overlooked health hazard. Bacterial endotoxins can trigger inflammatory responses in the human respiratory system in nearly 20% of cases.
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NewsFungi utilize ancient antimicrobial proteins to attack hosts and their microbiomes
An international research team has discovered the surprising evolutionary origin of fungal effector proteins: molecules that pathogens use today to infect their hosts appear to have evolved from ancient antimicrobial proteins.
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NewsNew research finds that almost all plant-based meat alternatives contain mycotoxins
New research into plant-based food and drinks has found a prevalence of mycotoxins – naturally occurring poisonous compounds produced by fungi - in hundreds of vegetarian and vegan products.
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NewsModerate UV light is best to boost the vitamin D content of edible mushrooms, study finds
Researchers have discovered that moderate ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is best when the technique is used to enhance vitamin D₂ in edible mushrooms. Excessive exposure leads to nutrient degradation or a plateau effect, they found.
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NewsNovel wheat hybrids increase resistance to major fungal disease by up to 70%
A new experimental study has identified a novel genetic locus in a common agricultural weed that provides significant resistance to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) and has now been successfully transferred into wheat to produce FHB resistant hybrids.
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NewsWith large DNA fragment assembly, scientists can design microbes that produce countless complex products
A review demonstrates that scientists can now reliably build and combine very large pieces of DNA, making it much easier to redesign microbes such as yeast and bacteria to act as efficient “cell factories.”
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NewsMass mating event reveals how yeast find the perfect match
When choosing mates, yeast organisms tend to pick partners that may increase the chances of their offspring’s success, according to a new study which revealed a link between the success of the parents and the genetic distance between them, and the success of their offspring.
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NewsSignificant rise in valley fever cases in El Paso linked to extreme weather and dust
A new study has identified a significant rise in Valley fever cases in El Paso over the past decade and found strong connections between the disease and extreme weather, wind and airborne dust.