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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Space: General

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Researchers have identified a specific T cell that produces cytokines necessary for immunity against fungal pathogens. The finding could hasten development of effective fungal vaccines. Fungal pneumonia was a deadly comorbidity in COVID infections globally.

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Insecticides containing flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor can have devastating effects on honey bee health. The substances damage the insects' intestinal flora, especially when used in conjunction with a common fungicide, making them more susceptible to disease and shortening their life span. The two insecticides were considered harmless to bees and bumblebees when approved, but their use has since been severely restricted.

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A decade-long study into unique rocks near a Derbyshire village has been uncovering the secrets of what the county and the Peak District might have looked like under a much warmer and wetter past.

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Current protected areas only poorly cover the places most relevant for conserving soil ecological values. To assess global hotspots for preserving soil ecological values, an international team of scientists measured different facets of soil biodiversity (local species richness and uniqueness) and ecosystem services (like water regulation or carbon storage). They found that these facets peaked in contrasting regions of the world. For instance, temperate ecosystems showed higher local soil biodiversity (species richness), while colder ecosystems were identified as hotspots of soil ecosystem services. In addition, the results suggest that tropical and arid ecosystems hold the most unique communities of soil organisms. Soil ecological values are often overlooked in nature conservation management and policy decisions; the new study demonstrates where efforts to protect them are needed most.

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A research group has found a new fungus from the group called Kickxellomycotina. The fungus, which was found on cave cricket feces, represents a new genus that inhabits the guts of animals -- a new discovery for this group of fungi. This finding indicates that this group evolved in connection with the animal gut; future studies will reveal the evolutionary stages between gut-inhabiting fungi and those with other life cycles.

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A multinational team of researchers in Europe report the discovery of a new antifungal antibiotic named solanimycin. The compound, initially isolated from a pathogenic bacterium that infects potatoes, appears to be produced by a broad spectrum of related plant pathogenic bacteria.

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Researchers found that the bacteria and fungi responsible for a severe form of childhood tooth decay together form 'superorganisms' with unexpected properties. The cross-kingdom groupings were more resistant to antimicrobials and physical removal than either species alone, sprouting 'limbs' to move as a group and spread rapidly on teeth.

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Scientists have made a significant genetic discovery that sheds light on the use of the drug caspofungin to treat a deadly fungal infection, Aspergillus fumigatus, which kills some 100,000 severely immunocompromised people each year.

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The presence of some fungal species in tumors predicts -- and may even help drive -- worse cancer outcomes, according to a new study.

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Scientists have created the first pan-cancer mycobiome atlas -- a survey of 35 types of cancer and their associated fungi.

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A recent study in Japan has found that reared ambrosia beetles, Euwallacea interjectus, can have symbiotic fungi different to those found in the wild. These findings suggest biocontrol implications for pest beetles that damage valuable crop trees such as fig trees.

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Researchers have demonstrated that chemical compounds containing special metals are highly effective in fighting dangerous fungal infections. These results could be used to develop innovative drugs which are effective against resistant bacteria and fungi.

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Researchers investigated how the process of human body decomposition affected microbial life of the surrounding soil microbiome. One factor that may play an important role is body mass index (BMI), they report.

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A new study links an amphibian die-off in Costa Rica and Panama with a spike in malaria cases. The study demonstrates the importance of biodiversity to human health.

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Fungal pathogens have a major global impact upon human health -- they are often difficult to diagnose and treat, and there is an urgent need for better diagnostics and more effective antifungal treatments. Using newly developed imaging technologies, researchers have now revealed how Candida albicans, a common fungus, evades immune responses. According to the researchers this involves an 'alien-like' shape shifting that allows the fungus to break out of immune cells.

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Researchers have identified a new reason to protect mangrove forests: they've been quietly keeping carbon out of Earth's atmosphere for the past 5,000 years.

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Insects that are adapted to perennially wet environments, like tropical rainforests, don't tend to do well when their surroundings dry out. New research indicates they may be equally averse to heavy rainfall. The results of an extensive five-year study conducted in Peru revealed a 50% decline in arthropod biomass following short periods of both drought and increased precipitation. One of only a few studies of this scope conducted in the tropics, the findings suggest terrestrial arthropods, a group that includes insects and spiders, will be more susceptible to climate change than previously suspected.

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A fungus that is a common cause of fungal meningitis undergoes a remarkable transformation once it enters the body, allowing it to infect the brain, according to new research. The discovery could lead to new strategies for blocking Cryptococcus neoformans infection and preventing detrimental effects on the host. C. neoformans is the leading cause of a rare but deadly swelling of the brain that occurs in people with weakened immune systems.

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In a new study, researchers have identified the structure of protein fibrils linked to a hereditary form of human prion disease. This insight, they say, reveals the mechanism for how prions can jump between some animal species, while retaining a transmissibility barrier between other species.

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A hallmark of a truly luxurious meal is a sprinkling of truffle shavings -- the fungal kind, not the chocolate. Nicknamed 'diamonds' of the culinary world, these fanciful fungi are prized for their unique flavor and scent. But newer truffle species are fighting to achieve that same gourmet status. Now, researchers have performed the first full aroma characterization of the Appalachian truffle, unlocking the potential for a new North American 'black diamond.'