Slime molds are not actually fungi at all, but they are brainless predators
In HBO's post-apocalyptic drama "The Last of Us," human civilization has fallen in the face of a fungal takeover triggered by climate change......»»
Fungi join the list of organisms that can control when ice forms
What's the advantage of triggering ice formation? It's not entirely clear. Enlarge / A related species of Fusarium. (credit: Wikimedia Commons) While it may be the reason behind tires skidding, pipes bursting, and closed.....»»
The ocean"s first large swimming apex predators had exceptionally rapid growth, fossil study finds
The rapid diversification of animals over 500 million years ago—often referred to as the Cambrian Explosion—saw the appearance of the first large swimming predators in our oceans. Amplectobelua symbrachiata, a member of the group Radiodonta, whic.....»»
Study shows that inoculating soil with mycorrhizal fungi can increase plant yield by by up to 40%
Farmland often harbors a multitude of pathogens which attack plants and reduce yields. A Swiss research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve yields without using additional fertilizers.....»»
Potential threats, promising resources in thriving colonies of bacteria and fungi on ocean plastic trash
A team of scientists from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found both potential threats and promising resources in the thriving colonies of bacteria and fungi on plastic trash washed up on Singapore shores......»»
Skunks" warning stripes less prominent where predators are sparse, study finds
Striped skunks are less likely to evolve with their famous and white markings where the threat of predation from mammals is low, scientists from the University of Bristol, Montana and Long Beach, California have discovered......»»
Is fear of sharks being overblown?
"Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water...." It's one of the most famous taglines in film history, immortalizing sharks as ruthless predators. But beyond the horror generated by Spielberg's "Jaws" series, a persistent fear of shar.....»»
Fungi"s secrets for surviving a hypersaline environment
Many organisms have evolved to survive in some of the Earth's harshest conditions, tolerating freezing temperatures, crushing pressures and other extremes. In studying these organisms, scientists deepen our understanding of how life has adapted on ou.....»»
How underground fungi shape forests
A large study involving 43 research plots in the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) Network—including a swath of trees at Tyson Research Center, the environmental field station of Washington University in St. Louis—has helped clarify the.....»»
New antifungal molecule kills fungi without toxicity in human cells, mice
A new antifungal molecule, devised by tweaking the structure of prominent antifungal drug Amphotericin B, has the potential to harness the drug's power against fungal infections while doing away with its toxicity, researchers at the University of Ill.....»»
A croc"s life: There"s more than meets the eye
Saltwater crocodiles are large predators that lurk in muddy waters, with jaws powerful enough to attack anything from water buffalo to humans... but they are also just big chilled-out lounge-lizards who love to sunbake......»»
Saturday Citations: Mars limnology, phage immunology, quantum technology. Plus: The mushrooms are coming
This week, we reported on LIGO upgrades, parasitic fungi and a new analysis of Curiosity rover data. Also, did you know that viruses also attack bacteria? But at that scale, it's a lot less like catching a cold and a lot more like Harry Dean Stanton.....»»
Discovery of three novel Minorisa species, the smallest predatory marine picoplankton
Minorisa, a group of unicellular eukaryotes (protists), is renowned as one of the smallest predators in the world. These microorganisms are widely distributed in oceans, with a particular abundance in coastal regions, where they are believed to play.....»»
Sunflower extract fights fungi to keep blueberries fresh
Opening a clamshell of berries and seeing them coated in fuzzy mold is a downer. And it's no small problem. Gray mold and other fungi, which cause fruit to rot, lead to significant economic losses and food waste......»»
GIY – Growing Fungi for Biofabrication
Elizabeth Marley is a design instructor, architect and artist who enjoys making participatory public art, collaborative biodesign adventures, and creative citizen science…just to name a few things at the top of her list. She is a lecturer at U.....»»
Understanding mutualism can help control the spread of invasive species
Cooperation between species to help each other's survival is known as mutualism. It is seen among many types of organisms, such as plants and fungi that exchange nutrients with one another, plants that provide bees with nectar in exchange for pollina.....»»
Reef-devouring predator survives coral bleaching and feasts on the survivors
Research conducted by marine biologists from the University of Sydney has found juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish can withstand tremendous heat waves well above levels that kill coral. These starfish then develop into carnivorous predators that devou.....»»
Scientists explain unique formation of ancient algae that evolved photosynthesis and oxygenated the planet
Scientists have for the first time revealed how blue-green algae—visible as the slippery green slime in stagnant water, riverbeds, and seashores—weaves itself into large weblike structures......»»
Peregrine falcons set off false alarms to make prey easier to catch, study finds
Predators must eat to survive—and to survive, prey must avoid being eaten. One theory, the Wolf-Mangel model, suggests predators could use false attacks to tire prey out or force them to take bigger risks, but this has been hard to show in practice.....»»
Multiple novel yeast species detected in the gut of green lacewing in Japan
Among fungi, including mushrooms and molds, there exists a wide range of yeast species that do not produce mycelium but instead grow as single cells through the processes of budding and division. Because yeasts multiply unicellularly, they are well s.....»»
State of the world"s plants and fungi report: 3 in 4 undescribed plant species already threatened with extinction
RBG Kew's fifth State of the World's report, published today, lays out the current condition of the world's plants and fungi globally. Based on the work of 200 international researchers and covering the content of more than 25 cutting-edge scientific.....»»