Blight review: The threat of a fungi-fuelled pandemic
19 July 2023
A new guide argues that infectious fungi and fungus-like pathogens are the most devastating causes of disease on Earth
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Premium
Sheets of fungus could be used as eco-friendly fireproofing for homes
19 July 2023
Fungi can be pressed into thin sheets that resist fire by forming a protective coating of char, and they could be turned into fireproofing materials for buildings
Ecologists are infecting trees with fungi to make them age prematurely
14 March 2023
Many species depend on the cavities inside veteran trees, but such spaces are in short supply. Researchers are exploring ways to make young trees old before their time
Adding wild fungi to soil could make trees store more carbon
1 March 2023
A loblolly pine plantation in the state of Georgia is the test site for a start-up company trying to see if improving the fungi and other microbes in soil can help trees grow bigger and faster
Do trees communicate via a 'wood wide web'? The evidence is lacking
13 February 2023
A review of studies on mycorrhizal fungi finds there is insufficient evidence for the popular idea that trees communicate and share resources via these underground networks
Fake mushroom experiment reveals why some fungi glow in the dark
24 January 2023
Why some mushrooms are bioluminescent remains uncertain, but a study using LED lights adds to the evidence they attract insects that help the fungus disperse its spores
Fungi evolved their weird and wild shapes in two big bursts
30 August 2022
The vast array of shapes that fungi can take, including colourful mushroom caps and tangles of thread-like moulds, evolved in two big bursts hundreds of millions of years ago
Tropical birds build nests from fungi that may keep parasites at bay
16 August 2022
Many birds’ nests in tropical rainforests contain rhizomorphs, fungal structures that produce defensive chemicals, which may protect nestlings from parasites
Slug poo helps mushrooms start new colonies by spreading spores
24 February 2022
Mantleslugs carry spores of dozens of fungal species in their faeces, and some of them even begin to germinate within the moist digestive tracts
A species of yeast produces near-identical clones when it has sex
4 May 2021
Saccharomycodes ludwigii is a sexually reproducing species, but it doesn’t mix up its genes before it mates – which means offspring end up being almost identical to the parents
