Fungi could reduce reliance on fertilizers
Introducing fungi to wheat boosted their uptake of key nutrients and could lead to new, 'climate smart' varieties of crops, according to a new study.
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A 'shocking' new way to treat infections
New research introduces a revolutionary treatment for these infections. The group is utilizing electrochemical therapy (ECT) to enhance the ability of antibiotics to eradicate the microbes.
Read moreThe secret of classic Belgian beers? Medieval super yeasts!
An international team of scientists has discovered that some of the most renowned classic Belgian beers, including Gueuze and Trappist ales, are fermented with a rare and unusual form of hybrid yeasts. These yeasts combine DNA of the traditional ale yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with that of more stress-resistant feral yeasts such as Saccharomyces kudriavzevii.
Read moreFirst widespread chytrid fungus infections in frogs of Peruvian Amazon rain forests
Biologists have documented, for the first time, the widespread presence of the notorious chytrid fungus in 80 species of frogs from lowland rain forest sites in the Peruvian Amazon.
Read moreSoil on moon and Mars likely to support crops
Researchers have produced crops in Mars and moon soil simulant developed by NASA. The research supports the idea that it would not only be possible to grow food on Mars and the moon to feed future settlers, but also to obtain viable seed from crops grown there.
Read moreTaming the wild cheese fungus
The flavors of fermented foods are heavily shaped by the fungi that grow on them, but the evolutionary origins of those fungi aren't well understood. Experimental findings offer microbiologists a new view on how those molds evolve from wild strains into the domesticated ones used in food production.
Read moreMeet the 'mold pigs,' a new group of invertebrates from 30 million years ago
Fossils preserved in Dominican amber reveal a new family, genus and species of microinvertebrate from the mid-Tertiary period, a discovery that shows unique lineages of the tiny creatures were living 30 million years ago.
Read moreNew mechanism in the liver helps prevent invasive fungal infections
An expert in intravital microscopy is making breakthroughs in invasive fungal infections. He has discovered a pathway by which liver macrophages capture fungi before dissemination to target organs like the brain. This not only provides an explanation as to why individuals with liver disease have enhanced risk of fungal infection, but also points to therapeutic options to prevent these infections, which kill 1.5 million people annually.
Read moreBig data reveals extraordinary unity underlying life's diversity
Limits to growth lie at the heart of how all living things function. The diversity of life is staggering. From microscopic algae to elephants, life has devised countless ways to thrive in every environment on the planet. But while biologists have tended to focus on the many varied forms that species have evolved, the age of 'big data' offers an unprecedented view of some surprisingly common features shared by all creatures, great and small.
Read moreLarge, long-term study suggests link between eating mushrooms and a lower risk of prostate cancer
Results from the first long-term cohort study of more than 36,000 Japanese men over decades suggest an association between eating mushrooms and a lower risk of prostate cancer.
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