Fungi: mycelia, mushrooms & more

A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed "fungi tiles" that could one day help to bring the heat down in buildings without consuming energy.

Researchers reveal Prototaxites, a giant Devonian fossil, was not a fungus or plant but a unique extinct lineage.

Deforestation, farming and climate-fueled fires are driving increasing threats to fungi, the lifeblood of most plants on Earth, the International Union for Conservation of Nature warned Thursday.

COLOMBO — In July 2023, heavy rains continued in southern Sri Lanka for days, soaking the lush greenery of the village of Hapugala in Galle. Amid the downpour, journalist and naturalist Sajeewa Wijeweera received an unexpected call — not from the wild, but from just across his garden. His wife, Sirangika Lokukaravita, had spotted something strange emerging from the wet soil: a vivid red mushroom with a bulbous base, bizarre and eye-catching in form.

Fungi are among the most important organisms on Earth. Even though most of the world's described 157,000 fungal species are only visible with a microscope, these organisms are essential to our ecosystems, our societies and economies.

A Czech-made house built from mushroom-based material could revolutionize eco-friendly construction by replacing polystyrene with mycelium.

In some orchids, photosynthesis is out and parasitism is in. Instead of making food from sunlight, some of these plants have become parasitic and primarily suck nutrients out of the fungi in their roots. Whether these orchids change their feeding method when they can’t get enough nutrients through photosynthesis alone or if they actually get more nutritional benefits from the parasitism has eluded scientists. New research into the orchid Oreorchis patens shows that it might be the opportunity and not necessity that is driving them. The findings are detailed in a study published February 19 in The Plant Journal.

The study has some great pictures that clarify the process.

How Mycelium is Powering the Next Generation of Materials.

Not exactly a fungi, but close enough to post it here.

This video entertained me quite a lot, and I believe you'd like this. In general, I would really recommend this channel. Very weird and charming guy, I love this dude.

The mycorrhizae that live among and in plant roots can boost the health of certain species, and even whole ecosystems — but scientists warn against a one-size-fits-all approach

Narrated by Björk & Merlin Sheldrake

Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that have fascinated mankind for a long time with their potential as a medicine, but they also play an important role in our lives as edible mushrooms in gastronomy or as pathogens. Not to mention, mycelium is already being used as a 3D printing material, for example for printing loudspeakers or tiles. These microorganisms are therefore versatile, and researchers at Empa have now discovered new capabilities of fungi: as electricity generators. These 3D printed fungal batteries could be a significant step towards a sustainable power supply! (...)

Swiss artists discovered glowing mushrooms in Zurich forests, identifying a new bioluminescent species, Mycena crocata.

The soil fungus Mortierella alpina has the potential to make agriculture greener and more sustainable: The fungus produces bioactive molecules called malpinins, which could protect plants from destructive worms. A research team from Jena has now been able to understand and describe their mode of action for the first time. The study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

A battery that needs feeding instead of charging? This is exactly what researchers have achieved with their 3D-printed, biodegradable fungal battery. The living battery could supply power to sensors for agriculture or research in remote regions. Once the work is done, it digests itself from the inside.