A Toxic Fungus Could Be Contributing to Some People’s Irritable Bowel Disease

Some strains of yeast in the human gut can produce toxins that could contribute to irritable bowel disease (IBD), according to new research. These “high-damaging” Candida albicans yeast strains aren’t usually a problem when they are kept in balance, but in the guts of those with IBD, the fungi appear to proliferate, triggering inflammation.   The … Read more

Gene-edited wheat resists dreaded fungus without pesticides | Science

Powdery mildew certainly sounds unappealing, but for wheat farmers the fungus can mean a serious hit to the pocketbook. It infects crops, yellowing leaves and stunting growth. In countries where the blight is common, like China, the microbe can destroy up to 40% of a field, making it one of the most damaging and costly … Read more

Genetics: Fungi that live on eucalyptus roots can control trees’ gene activity

Eucalyptus trees rely on root fungi to source nutrients and water – but the fungi actually control the genetic development of the tree roots by releasing tiny chunks of RNA Life 10 January 2022 By Michael Le Page Pisolithus microcarpus mycorrhizal root tips on Eucalyptus grandis Jonathan Plett A root fungus that helps eucalyptus trees … Read more

Origins of Drug-Resistant Superbug Weren’t What We Thought, Surprise Discovery Shows

An evolutionary battle between fungi and bacteria on hedgehogs’ skin gave rise to a type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria long before humans started using the antibiotics that were thought to lead to such superbugs, a new study reveals.   Researchers traced some lineages of the superbug MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, to a parasitic fungus found … Read more

The eerie bioluminescence of the ghost fungus in all its glory

By Gege Li Juergen Freund/naturepl.com Photographer Jürgen Freund AgencyNaturepl.com THIS haunting shot of a bioluminescent fungus may seem otherworldly, but you can witness the astonishing sight in forests here on Earth. The photo was taken in the Atherton Tableland plateau in Queensland, Australia, by nature photographer Jürgen Freund. This species is probably Omphalotus nidiformis, otherwise … Read more

We May Finally Know What Makes One of The World’s Largest Organisms So Tough

With massive webs of probing black tentacles extending for miles below the ground, the Armillaria group of fungi includes some of the largest known organisms on our planet.  An 8,500-year-old specimen of Armillaria ostoyae in Oregon covers 2,385 acres (3.7 square miles) with its mass of rhizomorph tentacles and is estimated to weigh roughly 7,500 … Read more