
Soil Fungi Could Trigger Rain by Seeding Clouds with Ice-Nucleating Proteins
A Science Advances study shows soil-dwelling Mortierellaceae fungi secrete water-soluble ice-nucleating proteins that act as cloud seeds, triggering ice formation and rain even at relatively warm temperatures. This bio-precipitation loop links forest soils to atmospheric rainfall, complements bacterial ice-nucleating proteins, and arose via horizontal gene transfer from bacteria. The finding highlights the climate relevance of soil microbes and suggests natural, biodegradable options for cloud seeding while underscoring the rainfall impact of forest conservation.












