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Microscopic image of a torn piece of gray plastic on a white background.
Alpine and Arctic Microbes Break Down Plastics
Researchers identified cold-adapted microbes that degrade certain plastics at low temperatures, potentially saving energy in industrial recycling.
Alpine and Arctic Microbes Break Down Plastics
Alpine and Arctic Microbes Break Down Plastics

Researchers identified cold-adapted microbes that degrade certain plastics at low temperatures, potentially saving energy in industrial recycling.

Researchers identified cold-adapted microbes that degrade certain plastics at low temperatures, potentially saving energy in industrial recycling.

fungi

Cheese wheels with moldy rinds on a wooden plank
Deleting a Gene Quells a Pesky Cheese-Destroying Fungus
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jun 30, 2023 | 3 min read
Fungi disrupt microbial communities on cheese by making antibiotics. 
A closeup of a dead frog floating in water with aquatic plants underneath it
Chytrid Fungus Deploys Varying Strategies to Infect Amphibians
Tess Joosse | Nov 14, 2022 | 2 min read
The ability to activate different sets of genes has likely helped the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis spread widely in amphibians, resulting in global population declines. 
A Connected Community: The Rise of Microbiome Research
The Scientist | 1 min read
Explore how microbes shape health, disease, and the world beyond
Microscope visualization of Candida albicans in an esophageal sample from a rhesus monkey with thrush
Fungal Pathogens Flourish in the Pandemic’s Shadow
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Oct 25, 2022 | 3 min read
The World Health Organization’s first ever fungal priority pathogens list highlights the growing threat of fungal diseases and antifungal resistance.
Tortoise leaf beetle on a green leaf
The Double Life of a Fungus: Defends Beetle, Attacks Plant
Andy Carstens | Aug 19, 2022 | 4 min read
Tortoise leaf beetles enjoy the protection the fungus provides from insect predators such as ants, then carry the microbe to a mutual plant host, which their fungal symbiont infects.
Reddish shelf fungi on a log
This Fungus Has More Than 17,000 Sexes
James M. Gaines | Apr 20, 2022 | 4 min read
Advances in sequencing technologies have finally allowed researchers to zero in on the genetic diversity underlying the incredible mating system of shelf fungi.
Slime mold colony with volcano-like fruiting bodies
Cancer-like Slime Mold Growth Hints at Multicellularity’s Origins
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 4, 2022 | 4 min read
The poorly understood Fonticula alba, a relative of fungi and animals, hunts bacteria with a mechanism that resembles cancer and fungal growth.
white and yellow colonies growing on a petri dish
Gut Fungi Hamper Radiation Therapy in Mice with Cancer
Rachael Moeller Gorman | Aug 11, 2021 | 3 min read
Depleting intestinal fungi allows radiation to effectively fight cancer, likely because the microbes influence the antitumor immune response.
Calcite crystals covered in small grains of pyrite, with pincers
Signs of Ancient Microbial Life Abundant in Earth’s Crust: Study
Catherine Offord | Jun 3, 2021 | 5 min read
Researchers report chemical and molecular signatures of microbial activity from millions of years ago in mineral samples from abandoned mines in Sweden and nearby countries.
colonies of mold growing on a Petri dish
Fungi Squeezed Through Microchannels Offer Clues to Cell Growth
Catherine Offord | Jun 1, 2021 | 3 min read
A study finds that fast-growing species are stymied by narrow gaps, while slower-growing species can pass through and continue extending.
Adriana L. Romero-Olivares kneels in the lab next to dry mushrooms in oven.
Adriana L. Romero-Olivares Tracks Fungi’s Response to Climate Change
Amanda Heidt | Jun 1, 2021 | 3 min read
The New Mexico State University soil microbiologist uses molecular tools to understand how fungi are adapting to a warming world and what that might mean for global nutrient cycles.
illustration of how slow-growing and fast-growing fungi grow through a narrow channel
Infographic: How Fungi Squeeze Through Tight Spaces—or Don’t
Catherine Offord | Jun 1, 2021 | 1 min read
A study finds that slower-growing species are better able to adjust their growth to fit their hyphae through narrow passages.
Blurred out people standing near train at station.
Cities Have Distinct Microbial Signatures: Study
Lisa Winter | May 27, 2021 | 2 min read
The researchers found thousands of species not previously documented.
Newly Found Proteins Stop Fungal “Bleeding”
Viviane Callier | Nov 12, 2020 | 3 min read
Mechanically sensitive proteins called gellins sense and respond to protoplasm flowing out of severed hyphae, quickly sealing up injuries in these root-like structures of fungi.
Forest Fungi Ride Out Wildfires by Hiding Inside Plants
Annie Greene | Apr 1, 2020 | 5 min read
Researchers uncover the “body-snatching” tactics of fungi that flourish immediately after wildfires.
Slideshow: Scads of Microbes Now Stored at Scripps
Jef Akst | Jan 9, 2020 | 1 min read
Take a peek at one of the biggest collections of bacteria and fungi in the world.
a photo of ampules stored in wire racks
Scripps Acquires Pfizer’s Massive Microbial Library
Jef Akst | Jan 9, 2020 | 5 min read
The East Coast campus of the research institute received shipments of freeze-dried or frozen samples of more than 210,000 microbial strains, which scientists plan to mine for potentially useful natural products.
Caught on Camera
The Scientist | Dec 1, 2019 | 1 min read
Selected Images of the Day from the-scientist.com
Image of the Day: Fungal Feature Tracker
Emily Makowski | Nov 5, 2019 | 1 min read
New software can analyze fungi’s growth over time.
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