New, ‘Living’ Building Material Made From Fungi and Bacteria Could Pave the Way to Self-Healing Structures
Researchers are developing the biomaterial as a more environmentally friendly alternative to concrete, but any wide-scale use is still far away
SpaceX Astronauts Will Try Growing the First Mushrooms in Space on Upcoming Fram2 Mission Over Earth’s Poles
Described as the “perfect space crop,” the nutritious and ready-to-eat fungus could be a key stepping stone toward fueling crew members during long-term spaceflight
See 15 Winning Images From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Competition
The annual contest offers a glimpse into the hidden world of tiny scenes, from insects to fish to fungi
Fossilized Poop Reveals How Extinct, Flightless Birds Helped Spread New Zealand’s Colorful Fungi
The upland moa was likely drawn to the fungi because of their resemblance to berries, scientists say, allowing the creature to fill a role typically played by mammals
Giant, Mysterious Spires Ruled the Earth Long Before Trees Did. What Exactly Are These Odd-Looking Fossils?
For more than 150 years, scientists have debated whether Prototaxites—which stood roughly 24 feet tall and 3 feet wide—were an early lichen or fungus, like a “giant mushroom”
Endangered Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frogs Are Making a Comeback
Scientists are celebrating the recovery of the species in Yosemite National Park, where they were decimated by the introduction of non-native fish and the deadly amphibian chytrid fungus
How a Team of Gophers Restored Mount St. Helens After Its Catastrophic Eruption With Less Than a Day of Digging
After the volcanic eruption of 1980, scientists released the burrowing rodents for only a brief time, but their activities left a remarkably enduring impact, according to a new study
How Frogs Are Kicking Back Against a Lethal Fungus
Scientists are seeing signs of resistance to the infections that have been wiping out the world’s amphibian populations—and they’re developing methods to fight the pathogen
This Parasitic Fungus Turns Flies Into Zombie Insects
The pathogen takes over the brains of its hosts and controls them for its own sinister ends
Can Fungi Save This Endangered Hawaiian Tree?
By inoculating greenhouse na’u seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi, researchers hope to boost survival odds when the plants are returned to the wild
Ants Farmed Fungi in the Wake of Dinosaurs’ Demise 66 Million Years Ago
A new study from Smithsonian scientists analyzes ant and fungus species, and uncovers the origins of their close partnership
Scientists Have Found Bacteria and Fungi 10,000 Feet Up in the Air
The discovery has implications for human health, since the microbes included some that were still viable, some that could be infectious to humans and others that carried drug-resistant genes
Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study Them?
Aging parasitologists are working hard to inspire more students to enter the field
‘Frog Saunas’ May Be the Key to Saving Amphibians From a Deadly Fungal Infection
Providing frogs with sun-warmed bricks inside mini-greenhouses can help them recover from chytrid and make them more resilient against the disease in the future, a new study finds
These Researchers Are Digging Into the Understudied Science of Roots
After centuries of neglect, botanists are using new techniques to understand roots
These French Cheeses Are at Risk of Extinction
A lack of microbial diversity could eventually spell the end of cheeses like Camembert
How a Microbe From Yellowstone’s Hot Springs Could Help Feed the World
A Chicago startup has turned a fungus found by NASA into a protein-packed food
DNA From the Ocean’s ‘Twilight Zone’ Could Lead to New Lifesaving Drugs, Scientists Say
Researchers catalogued the genes of more than 300 million groups of marine bacteria, viruses and fungi in hopes that the database could lead to breakthroughs in medicine, energy and agriculture
The Race to Develop Artificial Intelligence That Can Identify Every Species on the Planet
Scientists are building machine-learning-powered software that can recognize a species based solely on a cellphone picture
This Fungus Is Quickly Spreading, and Climate Change May Be to Blame
Washington state reported its first case of Candida auris, which can cause illness in people with weakened immune systems
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