fungus

Fungus foot baths could save bees

harminka — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:09:43 -0500

One of the biggest world wide threats to honey bees, the varroa mite, could soon be about to meet its nemesis. Researchers at the University of Warwick are examining naturally occurring fungi that kill the varroa mite.

Virulence factor that induces fatal Candida infection identified

harminka — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:45:58 -0500

Scientists here have found that certain substances from bacteria living in the human intestine cause the normally harmless Candida albicans fungus to become highly infectious.

Tree-Killing Fungus Officially Named by Scientists

harminka — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:32:10 -0500

The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) today announced that an SRS scientist and other researchers have officially named the fungus responsible for killing redbay and other trees in the coastal plains of northeastern Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Using fungus to improve corn-to-ethanol process

harminka — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:08:53 -0500

Growing a fungus in some of the leftovers from ethanol production can save energy, recycle more water and improve the livestock feed that's a co-product of fuel production, according to a team of researchers from Iowa State University and the University of Hawai'i.

Bread mold may hold secret to eliminating disease-causing genes

harminka — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:06:46 -0500

When most people discover mold on their bread, they immediately throw it out. Others see a world of possibilities in the tiny fungus. A University of Missouri scientist, along with a collaborative research team, has examined a new mechanism in the reproductive cycle of a certain species of mold.

Tomato stands firm in face of fungus

harminka — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:00:16 -0500

Scientists at the University of Amsterdam have discovered how to keep one’s tomatoes from wilting – the answer lies at the molecular level. The story of how the plant beat the pathogen, and what it means for combating other plant diseases, is published May 9th in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens.

Biomass-degrading fungus reveals capabilities for improved biofuel production

harminka — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:35:35 -0500

The bane of military quartermasters may soon be a boon to biofuels producers. The genome analysis of a champion biomass-degrading fungus has revealed a surprisingly minimal repertoire of genes that it employs to break down plant cell walls, highlighting opportunities for further improvements in enzymes customized for biofuels production.

Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History reveals ants as fungus farmers

harminka — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:55:19 -0500

It turns out ants, like humans, are true farmers. The difference is that ants are farming fungus.

Killer fungus spells disaster for wheat

harminka — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:20:31 -0500

A WHEAT disease that could destroy most of the world’s main wheat crops could strike south Asia’s vast wheat fields two years earlier than research had suggested, leaving millions to starve. The fungus, called Ug99, has spread from Africa to Iran, and may already be in Pakistan.

Invisible micropollutants invade crops, water supply

harminka — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:06:39 -0600

They’re here, there, and everywhere: Toxins produced by a common fungus are spreading beyond food crops and invading the environment, including water supplies, with unknown consequences, researchers in Switzerland report.

Unique fungal collection could hold key to future antibiotics

harminka — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:53:30 -0600

Royal Holloway and CABI both bring a combination of individual scientific skills, expertise and resources to the project. When brought together, these offer the opportunity to build a highly focused natural products drug discovery operation that will address the urgent need for bringing new antibiotic compounds to market.

Evolution of the Sexes

harminka — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:46:40 -0600

Fungi don't exactly come in boy and girl varieties, but they do have sex differences. In fact, a new finding from Duke University Medical Center shows that some of the earliest evolved forms of fungus contain clues to how the sexes evolved in higher animals, including that distant cousin of fungus, the human.