Tag

Fungi

All articles tagged with #fungi

science6 days ago•5 min saved

First Global Map Reveals Earth's Hidden Fungal Highway

A global team mapped the underground mycorrhizal network, estimating about 110 quadrillion kilometers of fungal filaments and 300 megatons of carbon; these networks transfer roughly 4 billion tonnes of CO2 into soil each year (about 11% of human-emitted CO2) and support ~70% of plant species. The map, produced from 322 studies and 16,000 soil samples using machine learning and advanced imaging, shows that natural ecosystems host denser networks than agricultural lands, with grasslands holding a large share of biomass. Widespread habitat loss could weaken soil carbon storage and nutrient cycling, highlighting fungi as a planetary circulatory system.

via WIRED|

#climate-change #ecology #fungi

science10 days ago•7 min saved

Chernobyl’s Black Fungus May Harvest Radiation for Energy

A dark melanized fungus, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, thriving inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone, may exploit ionizing radiation for energy via a proposed radiosynthesis process powered by melanin. While the fungus grows better in radiation and has shown to attenuate radiation in an ISS exposure test, scientists have not proven a real energy-harvesting mechanism or carbon fixation, and the phenomenon is not universal among melanized fungi.

via ScienceAlert|

#chernobyl #fungi #melanin

science13 days ago•65 min saved

Multicellularity Expands Microbial Chemical Repertoires

A new study shows that the evolution of multicellularity in microbes is closely linked to large expansions in specialized metabolite production. Unicellular lineages generally harbor few biosynthetic gene clusters, whereas multicellular groups in bacteria (Cyanobacteriota, Myxococcota, Actinomycetota) and fungi (Pezizomycotina, Agaricomycetes) exhibit ancestral increases in BGC content alongside multicellular development and self-recognition traits. These lineages also harbor enriched carbohydrate-active enzymes, suggesting energy from complex catabolic processes fuels metabolite production, aligning with a public-goods framework and offering a path for discovering novel antimicrobial compounds while illuminating major evolutionary transitions.

via Nature|

#actinomycetota #biosyntheticgeneclusters #fungi

environment18 days ago•39 min saved

Global map reveals Earth’s hidden fungal highways are densest beneath wild grasslands

Researchers mapped the world’s underground mycorrhizal network, estimating about 68 quadrillion miles (110 quadrillion km) of fungal hyphae that connect around 70% of Earth’s plants. The network boosts plant access to water, nutrients, and soil carbon exchange, and it is densest under wild grasslands rather than rainforests. Farmland shows about half the density, highlighting how agricultural practices affect these hidden connections and offering new avenues for conservation and farming methods that protect this vast, climate-relevant web.

via Earth.com|

#environment #fungi #grasslands

science19 days ago•5 min saved

Desert Moss Hides Fungal Partners Inside Its Tissues

UC Riverside researchers found fungi inside desert moss tissues, including arbuscule-like structures, suggesting a potential mycorrhizal relationship not previously documented in mosses; if confirmed, it could reshape ideas about moss biology and the early evolution of land plants, with implications for dryland restoration—though a true symbiosis has not yet been proven.

via SciTechDaily|

#biocrusts #desert #fungi

science24 days ago•41 min saved

Global map uncovers a 62 quadrillion-mile underground fungal web

Scientists mapped underground fungal networks and found they total about 62 quadrillion miles in length within the top 15 cm of soil; the new interactive map shows hotspots in grasslands and wetlands and aims to protect fungi as part of conservation efforts, noting that dense networks support plant nutrition and carbon storage while intensive agriculture reduces hyphae density; more than 8,000 fungal species are known, but most have not been assessed for endangerment.

via Good News Network|

#conservation #ecology #fungi

science26 days ago•2 min saved

Earth’s Underground Fungal Web Could Stretch Across the Milky Way, Study Finds

Scientists mapped the planet’s underground fungal networks—dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi—using 16,000 soil samples and a machine‑learning model, estimating about 110 quadrillion kilometers of hyphae that underpin nutrient and water exchange, climate regulation, and the carbon cycle. The global fungal biomass is roughly 300 megatons, with around 70% supporting most ground‑level plant life and 40% concentrated in high‑altitude or flooded grasslands. Density is lower in cropland soils, underscoring the need to protect grasslands and other ecosystems that host these hidden networks.

via Futurism|

#carboncycle #fungi #grasslands

science28 days ago•3 min saved

Global map shows subterranean fungal networks stretching 110 quadrillion kilometers

Scientists mapped arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from over 16,000 soil cores to produce the first global network density map, estimating that the networks could reach about 110 quadrillion kilometers end-to-end—roughly 750 million times the distance from the Earth to the Sun. These networks supply nutrients and water to plants and help store carbon, but densities are higher in wild ecosystems and lower in croplands due to farming practices like tilling and fertilizer use. Preserving and restoring underground fungal networks could boost nutrient cycling, reduce fertilizer needs, and enhance carbon storage, with data intended to inform policymakers and farming practices.

via The Guardian|

#agriculture #carbon-storage #fungi

science29 days ago•2 min saved

Earth's Hidden Fungal Webs Stretch 68 Quadrillion Miles

Scientists using machine learning and high-resolution imaging mapped the planet's vast underground networks of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, finding filaments totaling about 68 quadrillion miles and storing around 300 megatons of carbon—roughly 4-6 times the carbon contained by all humans—highlighting fungi's key role in plant nutrition and global carbon cycling.

via The New York Times|

#carbon-cycle #fungi #machine-learning

science1 month ago•187 min saved

Ötzi’s microbes survive millennia, reshaping view of ancient microbiomes

DNA analysis of Ötzi the Iceman’s 5,300-year-old remains shows ancient fungi and gut bacteria still alive, with cold-adapted species likely colonizing his body and possibly slowly multiplying in tiny pockets of mummy moisture; some microbes are extremely rare in modern industrialized populations, suggesting a distinct Alpine microbiome. The findings highlight microbial longevity in frozen remains and raise considerations for preservation and our understanding of ancient ecosystems.

via CNN|

#ancient-microbes #dna-analysis #fungi

science1 month ago•2 min saved

Mars Fungi Could Turn Red Dust into Farmable Soil

Researchers propose using fungi to transform Martian regolith—an alkaline, toxic, nutrient-poor soil—into crop-friendly soil that can host beneficial microbes and plants. Fungal species like Trichoderma and hardy extremophiles, along with mycorrhizal fungi, could enhance nutrient availability and soil structure, potentially reducing the need to ship soil from Earth. While promising, many questions remain about crop safety, radiation, and how to validate the approach; there are also early signs from algae-based Martian-resource fertilizers showing progress toward growing food on Mars.

via Futurism|

#fungi #mars #mycorrhizal-fungi

science1 month ago•36 min saved

Ancient fungal clues reveal Earth was stressed before the dinosaur extinction

A Johns Hopkins study analyzed ancient fungal spores in sediments and found three pre-impact fungal blooms dating up to 30,000 years before the asteroid, likely tied to Deccan Traps volcanism that cooled the climate and stressed ecosystems; a second fungal surge occurred at the asteroid boundary, and recovery after the mass extinction was slow and uneven, suggesting the crisis began before the impact.

via Earth.com|

#climate-change #deccan-traps #dinosaurs

science2 months ago•28 min saved

Spaceborne fungi survive sterilization, raising Mars contamination fears

NASA-linked research shows near-unkillable fungal strains can endure even the agency’s strict sterilization procedures, raising concerns that Earth microbes could already hitchhike on future Mars missions or seed life on other worlds like Enceladus or Titan, and prompting a reevaluation of planetary-protection protocols for upcoming rovers and probes.

via Yahoo|

#fungi #mars #nasa

planet-earth2 months ago•64 min saved

Fungi borrow bacterial ice-maker to influence rain

A Science Advances study shows Mortierellaceae fungi carry a bacterial ice-nucleating protein nearly identical to InaZ; when the fungal gene was inserted into yeast it conferred ice-forming ability, suggesting fungi acquired the trait via horizontal gene transfer. The protein is secreted and may help lichens pull water from the air, potentially enabling frost to form and later melt to replenish water, and it could mean fungi play a larger role in the weather cycle than bacteria. Scientists also note these fungal proteins could be explored for non-toxic cloud-seeding alternatives if produced safely.

via Live Science|

#fungi #horizontal-gene-transfer #ice-nucleation

science2 months ago•5 min saved

Some Fungi Could Weather the Martian Journey, NASA Study Finds

A NASA-backed study shows spores of Aspergillus calidoustus can survive simulated space travel and Martian conditions, highlighting microbial resilience that informs planetary protection and microbial risk assessments for future Mars missions—though it does not imply Mars contamination is likely.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astrobiology #fungi #nasa