All articles tagged with #fungi
Fungi were the first complex life forms on Earth, evolving before plants and animals, initially thriving in aquatic environments and later adapting to land, forming symbiotic relationships and networks that set the stage for the emergence of plants and animals.
This article reviews the current research on mushroom-forming fungi, covering their biodiversity, genomics, ecological roles, and evolutionary history, highlighting recent discoveries in their symbiosis, decay mechanisms, and biogeography.
Scientists are exploring the potential of fungi, particularly mycelium, to address environmental challenges such as plastic waste and pollution, with innovations like fungi-activated diapers that could decompose plastics within a year and fungi-based materials for packaging, insulation, and chemical production, highlighting fungi's versatility as nature's original engineers.
Mushrooms often appear in lawns during wet weather and can be harmless or toxic. To manage them, remove mushrooms promptly with gloves and keep the lawn dry and well-maintained to prevent future growth. While beneficial for soil health, caution is advised if pets or children are around, and expert identification is recommended for safety.
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a method to use fungi, specifically shiitake and button mushroom mycelium, as organic memristors, which could lead to environmentally friendly and sustainable components for future computing devices, leveraging the natural properties of fungi to store electrical states.
The article discusses the mycobiome, the fungal component of our microbiome, highlighting its presence in the gut, skin, and other body parts, its impact on health, and its potential links to diseases like infections, inflammatory bowel disease, and possibly neurodegenerative disorders, emphasizing the need for further research.
Scientists at the University of Utah have developed a living hydrogel from the soil fungus Marquandomyces marquandii, which could potentially be used for wound healing and tissue regeneration due to its multilayered, water-retaining, and biocompatible properties, marking a significant step toward bio-integrated medical materials.
A study finds that certain bacteria and fungi in the mouth can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by more than three times, highlighting the importance of good oral hygiene and potential for microbiome profiling in cancer prevention.
A study suggests that poor oral hygiene, specifically the presence of certain bacteria and fungi in the mouth, can significantly increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, highlighting the importance of dental care in cancer prevention.
A study links the presence of 27 types of bacteria and fungi in the mouth to a more than threefold increased risk of pancreatic cancer, highlighting the potential importance of oral health in cancer prevention, although causality has not been established.
Artist Sam Shoemaker built a 26-mile ocean-crossing kayak from mycelium, demonstrating its durability by surviving seasickness and a whale encounter, and highlighting fungi as an eco-friendly alternative to plastics.
Scientists observed rapid evolution in fungi on cheese rinds, where a mutation disrupting the alb1 gene led to a color change from green to white, demonstrating how environmental changes can drive genetic adaptation and offering insights for food security and medical research.
Scientists are exploring the role of fungi in restoring Britain's ancient hazelwoods and temperate rainforests, emphasizing the importance of subterranean microbial communities in forest health and regeneration, with efforts spanning from Scotland to global sites like Colombia to develop a comprehensive understanding and strategies for ecosystem revival.
The article discusses the diverse and distinct microbiomes inside living trees, highlighting the complex interactions between microbial communities such as bacteria and fungi within different tree tissues and their roles in tree health, decay, and ecosystem functions.
Researchers highlight the urgent need to protect Earth's underground fungal networks, which are vital for ecosystem health, carbon storage, and agriculture, but are largely unprotected and threatened by human activities, calling for immediate conservation efforts.