fungi News and Research

RSS

This edible flower could do more than brighten a plate

A review of 76 publications finds that pot marigold contains more than 500 reported secondary metabolites, along with natural pigments, antioxidants, and substantial dietary fiber. Early food studies report promising results in yogurt, bread, pasta, and edible oils, but limited product trials and no clinical evidence currently prevent human health claims.

28 Jul 2026

Global database strengthens monitoring of coastal microbial health risks

A new global database brings together information on disease-causing microorganisms, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors in coastal waters, giving researchers and public health professionals a practical tool for assessing biological risks in estuaries and other nearshore environments.

24 Jul 2026

Scientists create programmable immune receptors for disease-resistant crops

Crop production faces threats from plant pathogens. Traditional disease-resistance breeding relies heavily on natural plant resistance genes that encode immune receptors adapted to particular pathogens.

23 Jul 2026

Corn-based foods linked to higher mycotoxin exposure in pregnancy

Consuming common foods such as corn chips and popcorn may put pregnant women at risk of being exposed to mycotoxins – harmful substances produced by mold – according to Rutgers researchers.

22 Jul 2026

Walking protein structure explains how cells activate molecular motors

A nerve cell resembles a vast tree with branches that communicate with thousands of other cells. To function, it depends on a motor protein that walks on two legs, hauling urgent cargo from the center of the cell to the faraway tips of every branch.

15 Jul 2026

Antifungal nanoparticles made from immune cell membranes fight infections

Tiny particles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. Engineers at the University of California San Diego created antifungal nanoparticles that target Candida albicans, a fungus responsible for oral and vaginal yeast infections as well as life-threatening bloodstream infections.

9 Jul 2026

Smoking shows no major impact on the eye microbiome in small study

A small study found no evidence that smoking causes large or consistent shifts in the ocular surface microbiome or tear proteome. The authors caution that subtle smoking-related effects cannot be ruled out, given the small cohort and the ocular surface's low-biomass, contamination-sensitive microbial niche.

8 Jul 2026

New genome editing tool unlocks fungi's hidden drug-producing potential

Researchers have spent decades-and billions of dollars-sequencing animal and crop genomes, but fungi have historically been the forgotten middle child of genomics, only noticed when they're ruining bread or colonizing toes.

2 Jul 2026

Microbes trigger cell death to boost cancer immunotherapy effectiveness

Traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), but their efficacy is often limited by drug resistance, severe off-target toxicity, and immune-related adverse events.

24 Jun 2026

Gut fungi play key role in pediatric allergic diseases development

Two new studies jointly published in Nature: The Clinical Microbiome reveal that certain species of fungi in the gut play a key role in the development of immune dysregulation and some pediatric allergic diseases - and may be promising targets for new therapies.

23 Jun 2026

Synthetic gut communities reveal how diet rewires the microbiome

Synthetic microbial communities give researchers controlled models for testing how diet reshapes gut microbial ecology, metabolism, and host-relevant responses. The review highlights how SynComs can strengthen causal inference, improve intervention testing, and support future precision nutrition, while noting major challenges in stability, standardization, and ecological realism.

21 Jun 2026

Computer models could design more effective probiotic supplements

Probiotic supplements found in drugstores nationwide contain an assortment of microbes sold for specific health purposes despite limited understanding of the microbes' connections to their marketed use, new University of Virginia School of Medicine research reveals.

18 Jun 2026

Sidewalk yeast species could lead to eco-friendly mosquito traps

An orange-colored yeast species isolated from a Baltimore sidewalk several years ago could be the basis of eco-friendly mosquito traps that reduce malaria transmission, according to a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

17 Jun 2026

Ancient unicellular organism offers clues to animal origins

A recent study by Ruibao Li and Jennah Dharamshi published in Nature may help us understand the beginnings of animal evolution billions of years ago.

12 Jun 2026

Researchers discover 45 new toxins produced by Salmonella bacteria

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have discovered 45 new toxins produced by Salmonella bacteria, some of which are associated with foodborne infections.

11 Jun 2026

Rattlesnakes show higher vulnerability to fungal and parasitic infections

Snakes are threatened with extinction in many places around the globe. Disease, often caused by parasites or fungi, is thought to be one of the key factors alongside habitat destruction.

26 May 2026

Boston Children's scientists create new booster-free mRNA vaccine strategy

In a new study published in Nature Immunology, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital demonstrated that pairing the original COVID-19 mRNA vaccine with an immune system enhancer, known as an adjuvant, extended the duration of the vaccine's protection in mice from a few months up to two years.

22 May 2026