Fungi
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Fungi: Ecology, Evolution, Health, and the Hidden Kingdom
Fungi constitute one of the great kingdoms of life, yet much of their diversity and ecological importance remains hidden from ordinary view. Mushrooms are only the visible reproductive structures of some fungi; the larger organism often exists as networks of microscopic filaments known as hyphae, which collectively form mycelium. These networks permeate soils, wood, plants, sediments, living organisms, and countless other environments.
Research increasingly portrays fungi not as peripheral organisms but as fundamental components of Earth's biological systems. They decompose organic matter, recycle nutrients, form partnerships with plants, influence carbon storage, cause disease, produce medicines and foods, and provide biological materials that researchers are adapting for technologies ranging from construction to electronics.
The growing scientific attention to fungi is also revealing how little is known. Large numbers of fungal species remain undescribed, important underground ecosystems remain poorly mapped, and fungi are still frequently overlooked in conservation policy despite their central role in maintaining terrestrial ecosystems.
The Hidden Ecological Infrastructure
Fungi perform some of the most important ecological work on Earth. Saprotrophic fungi break down dead organisms, wood, leaves, and other organic materials. Without decomposition, nutrients essential to new life would remain trapped in dead biological material.
Other fungi form intimate partnerships with plants. Mycorrhizal fungi colonize or surround plant roots and exchange nutrients with their hosts. Plants provide fungi with carbon-rich compounds generated through photosynthesis, while fungi can increase plants' access to phosphorus, nitrogen, water, and other resources.
The scale of these relationships is enormous. Research mapping arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi suggests that vast networks of fungal hyphae extend through soils around the world. Nearly all major terrestrial ecosystems depend in some way on relationships among plants, fungi, microorganisms, animals, climate, and soil.
These underground interactions are more complicated than the popular idea of a cooperative "wood wide web." Researchers continue to debate how nutrients, chemical signals, and resources move through fungal networks and whether interactions among connected plants are cooperative, competitive, opportunistic, or combinations of all three.
Fungi also influence the structure of forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, agricultural soils, and even marine sediments. Their activities can affect plant productivity, soil formation, nutrient availability, ecosystem resilience, and the amount of carbon retained in ecosystems.
Fungi, Carbon, and Climate
The role of fungi in the global carbon cycle has become an increasingly important research subject. Plants transfer substantial quantities of photosynthetically captured carbon to fungal partners below ground. Some of that carbon enters fungal tissues, soil organic matter, and longer-lived underground carbon pools.
Different fungal communities can influence whether carbon remains stored in forests and soils or returns to the atmosphere through decomposition. Consequently, changes in fungal populations may affect ecosystem responses to climate change.
Climate change can also transform fungal communities. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, wildfires, changing vegetation, and migrating tree populations may reorganize relationships between plants and their fungal partners.
Trees moving into new climatic zones may not always encounter the specialized soil fungi upon which they depend. Conversely, warming temperatures may allow some plant pathogens or disease-causing fungi to expand into regions that were previously unsuitable.
Fire provides another example of fungal adaptation. Certain fungi flourish after wildfires and possess mechanisms allowing them to exploit burned organic material and charcoal. These organisms may participate in rebuilding soil ecosystems after disturbance.
Fungi have even been found playing roles in carbon cycling in environments where their importance was previously underestimated, including Arctic sediments and marine ecosystems.
Biodiversity, Evolution, and Conservation
Fungi represent an enormous portion of Earth's biodiversity, but only a fraction of fungal species have been scientifically described. New species continue to be discovered in forests, caves, soils, freshwater environments, tropical ecosystems, and even familiar landscapes.
Fossils and genetic studies are also pushing the history of fungi deeper into geological time. Evidence increasingly suggests that fungi were established on land extremely early and may have helped prepare terrestrial environments for the later expansion of plants.
Ancient fungal relationships can also be remarkably specialized. Fossils document fungi parasitizing plants and insects millions of years ago, demonstrating that many ecological interactions visible today have deep evolutionary histories.
Lichens—partnerships involving fungi and photosynthetic organisms—represent another ancient evolutionary strategy. Fossil discoveries continue to reshape estimates of when such associations first appeared.
Despite their evolutionary and ecological significance, fungi historically received far less conservation attention than plants and animals. Conservation organizations increasingly argue that biodiversity policy should explicitly recognize "funga" alongside flora and fauna.
This omission has practical consequences. Research suggests that many regions predicted to contain exceptionally high mycorrhizal fungal diversity remain outside protected areas. Conservationists therefore increasingly advocate mapping fungal communities and including them when determining which landscapes deserve protection.
Fungi and Human Health
Fungi maintain complicated relationships with humans. Some species live harmlessly on or inside the human body, others provide valuable medicines and foods, and a comparatively small number cause serious infections.
Invasive fungal infections are an increasing medical concern, particularly for people whose immune systems are weakened. Pathogens such as Candida, Cryptococcus, and other fungi can cause difficult-to-treat systemic infections.
Treatment is complicated because fungi, like humans, are eukaryotic organisms. Their cellular biology is sufficiently similar to ours that finding compounds that kill fungi without damaging human cells is more difficult than developing many antibacterial drugs.
Antifungal resistance adds another challenge. Scientists are therefore investigating new fungal vulnerabilities, drug targets, natural compounds, combination therapies, and potential vaccine strategies.
Climate change may alter fungal disease risks as well. Experiments indicate that some fungi can evolve increased tolerance to higher temperatures. Because mammalian body temperature provides an important barrier against many environmental fungi, increased heat tolerance could potentially allow additional species to survive in animal hosts.
Fungi are not exclusively threats to medicine. They are also prolific producers of biologically active molecules. Researchers continue to investigate fungal compounds for antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, neurological, and other therapeutic applications.
Psychedelic and Medicinal Fungi
Mushroom-derived compounds have become an important area of biomedical research. Psilocybin, produced by several groups of mushrooms, is being investigated for its effects on the brain and its potential use in carefully controlled therapeutic settings.
Genomic studies indicate that the ability to manufacture psilocybin has an unusual evolutionary history. Different fungal lineages appear to have evolved biochemical pathways capable of producing the compound, providing an example of convergent evolution.
Researchers are studying how psilocybin alters neural networks, perception, cognition, and psychological flexibility. Clinical research has examined possible applications in several psychiatric and behavioral conditions, although many therapeutic claims remain under investigation.
Other mushrooms, including lion's mane and numerous traditional medicinal species, have attracted widespread public interest. Scientific assessments distinguish between promising biological activity and health claims that have not yet been demonstrated convincingly in human trials.
Fungal Disease in Wildlife
Some fungal diseases have had devastating effects on wildlife. Chytridiomycosis, caused by chytrid fungi, has contributed to severe amphibian declines and extinctions around the world.
Scientists are studying why some frog populations survive while others collapse. Genetics, immune responses, environmental conditions, skin microbial communities, and evolutionary adaptation may all influence resistance.
Conservationists are experimenting with several approaches, including captive breeding, habitat manipulation, heat treatments sometimes described as "frog saunas," microbiome management, vaccination research, and controlled reintroduction.
International wildlife trade may contribute to the movement of dangerous pathogens between regions, making disease monitoring and early detection important conservation tools.
Bats provide another example. White-nose syndrome has killed enormous numbers of North American bats, demonstrating how rapidly an introduced fungal pathogen can transform wildlife populations. The discovery of additional potentially dangerous fungi has increased concern that comparable outbreaks could occur again.
Parasites, Zombies, and Extraordinary Fungal Strategies
Among the most striking fungi are species that parasitize insects and other animals. Some manipulate host behavior in ways that improve fungal reproduction and dispersal.
Ophiocordyceps and related fungi that infect insects inspired popular fictional portrayals of "zombie fungi." Their actual biology is extraordinary enough without fiction. Some species alter host movement, feeding, metabolism, or behavior before killing the host and producing reproductive structures.
Fossil evidence demonstrates that fungal parasitism of insects existed tens of millions of years ago. Amber specimens preserve ancient fungi infecting insects, showing that these relationships evolved long before humans appeared.
Scientists continue to discover new examples, including fungi associated with spiders, caterpillars, flies, and other arthropods. Some parasites even appear to manipulate the timing of host death so that spores are released under favorable environmental conditions.
Agriculture and Plant Health
Fungi can either sustain agriculture or threaten it. Beneficial fungi improve nutrient acquisition, enhance stress tolerance, influence root development, and may reduce dependence on fertilizers.
Researchers are investigating whether crops can be bred or managed to form more effective partnerships with beneficial fungi. Understanding the molecular signaling between roots and fungi could contribute to agricultural systems requiring fewer chemical inputs.
At the same time, fungal pathogens cause enormous crop losses. Rice, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and many other crops face fungal diseases capable of reducing yields and threatening food security.
Plant-fungus interactions therefore represent an evolutionary arms race. Plants possess immune systems designed to recognize pathogens, while pathogenic fungi develop molecular strategies for entering plant tissues and suppressing defenses.
Interestingly, beneficial and pathogenic fungi sometimes use related biological mechanisms to interact with plants. Understanding the distinction between cooperation and disease is becoming an important frontier in plant biology.
Fungi themselves may also provide alternatives to conventional pesticides. Naturally produced fungal compounds and carefully selected biological-control fungi are being investigated as potential tools for suppressing agricultural pests and invasive plants.
Fungi as Food and Fermentation Partners
Humans have relied on fungi for food and fermentation for thousands of years. Yeasts make bread rise and ferment beer and wine, while molds and mushrooms contribute to cheeses, fermented foods, flavor production, and numerous regional cuisines.
Modern research is expanding these traditional uses. Scientists are engineering fungi and yeasts as biological factories capable of producing proteins, chemicals, flavor compounds, medicines, and food ingredients.
Fungal fermentation could also help transform agricultural leftovers and food-processing waste into valuable products. Proposed fungal biorefineries seek to convert low-value biological material into proteins, foods, materials, and industrial compounds.
Mycelium-based foods are being developed as alternatives to conventional meat. Because fungi can grow rapidly on relatively simple substrates, they may offer methods for producing protein with lower requirements for land and other resources.
Wild mushroom gathering remains culturally and economically important as well. Species such as morels and truffles depend on particular ecological conditions, and understanding their fungal biology can improve both conservation and cultivation.
Biotechnology and the Mycelium Materials Revolution
One of the most rapidly developing areas of fungal research involves using mycelium as a biological manufacturing platform.
Mycelium can grow through agricultural wastes and other organic materials, binding particles together into lightweight structures. Researchers and companies are developing fungal composites for packaging, insulation, construction products, furniture, textiles, and alternatives to leather and petroleum-derived materials.
Living fungal materials may offer capabilities unavailable in conventional materials. Experimental systems have demonstrated forms of self-repair in which fungal growth helps restore damaged structures.
Genetic engineering and selective breeding can modify the mechanical properties of mycelium, raising the possibility of designing fungal materials for specific applications.
Fungal structures are also inspiring new hydrogels and other soft materials. Chitin, a structural component of fungal cell walls, is being investigated as a renewable material for medical devices, sensors, and robotics.
Some researchers are even integrating living fungi directly into machines. Electrical activity generated by fungal networks can be detected and used in experimental sensing systems, robots, and unconventional computers.
Fungal Electronics and Biohybrid Machines
Research into fungal electrical signaling has produced some of the most unconventional applications of mycology. Mycelial networks generate changing electrical signals as they grow and respond to environmental conditions.
Scientists are testing whether these signals can serve as biological sensors. Experimental robots have incorporated living fungal tissues so that fungal responses to environmental stimuli influence machine behavior.
Other researchers are investigating fungal computing systems in which living mycelium participates in information processing.
These technologies remain highly experimental, but they illustrate an important shift in biotechnology: instead of extracting a single useful chemical from an organism, scientists may increasingly incorporate living biological systems into machines and materials.
Fungi in Extreme Environments and Space
Fungi display remarkable resilience. Species have been discovered in deserts, Arctic environments, deep sediments, highly contaminated habitats, and other extreme environments.
Some fungi can tolerate unusually high radiation levels or survive extreme environmental stresses. Such organisms are of interest to astrobiologists studying the limits of life.
Fungi isolated from highly controlled spacecraft environments have raised a different concern. Their ability to survive sterilization procedures could complicate planetary-protection efforts intended to prevent terrestrial organisms from contaminating other worlds.
Scientists are also considering fungi as resources for future space exploration. Experiments involving mushroom cultivation and mycelium-based materials examine whether fungi could contribute to food production, waste recycling, construction, or manufacturing beyond Earth.
Fungi, Pollution, and Environmental Restoration
Fungi possess extraordinary biochemical abilities for breaking down complex organic molecules. Researchers are attempting to harness these capabilities for environmental cleanup.
Mycoremediation uses fungi to degrade or immobilize pollutants in contaminated soils and other environments. Experimental projects have investigated fungal treatment of hydrocarbons, industrial contaminants, agricultural wastes, and other pollutants.
Marine fungi have also demonstrated an ability to degrade some plastics. Laboratory experiments suggest that exposure and adaptation may increase the capacity of certain fungal strains to attack synthetic materials.
These findings do not mean fungi can independently solve global pollution problems, but they illustrate the enormous biochemical diversity contained within the fungal kingdom.
Fungi may also help restore damaged ecosystems after fires, mining, pollution, intensive agriculture, and other disturbances by rebuilding decomposition processes, soil structure, nutrient cycling, and plant partnerships.
Rediscovering an Overlooked Kingdom
Much of modern biology was historically organized around animals, plants, and microorganisms associated with disease. Fungi occupied an awkward position between these categories and consequently received less scientific and public attention.
Molecular biology and environmental DNA sequencing are rapidly changing that situation. Scientists can now detect fungal organisms from tiny fragments of genetic material even when mushrooms or other visible structures are absent.
Digitization of fungal collections is similarly opening historical specimens to researchers around the world. Large fungaria preserve millions of samples that can provide information about species distributions, environmental change, taxonomy, and evolutionary history.
Citizen scientists, mushroom enthusiasts, trained detection dogs, Indigenous knowledge holders, professional mycologists, geneticists, ecologists, and conservation organizations are all contributing to the expanding picture of fungal diversity.
Yet the central scientific lesson remains how incomplete that picture is. Entire fungal communities remain poorly documented, enormous areas of the world have received little systematic fungal sampling, and many species may disappear before they are formally described.
Conclusion
Fungi are among Earth's most versatile and consequential organisms. They are decomposers, symbiotic partners, pathogens, food sources, medicines, ecosystem engineers, chemical factories, biological materials, and essential participants in global nutrient and carbon cycles.
Their underground networks connect plants with soil processes that support forests and agriculture. Their diseases can transform ecosystems and threaten crops, wildlife, and human health. Their biochemical capabilities are inspiring new medicines, foods, materials, pollution-control technologies, sensors, and experimental computing systems.
At the same time, fungal research is exposing an enormous gap in humanity's knowledge of the living world. Scientists have described only a fraction of fungal diversity, while many ecologically important fungal communities remain largely unmapped and poorly protected.
The emerging picture suggests that understanding biodiversity requires looking beyond the organisms that are easiest to see. Beneath forests, farms, grasslands, cities, oceans, and even apparently barren environments lies an immense fungal world that helps determine how ecosystems function.
The study of fungi is therefore becoming much more than the study of mushrooms. It is increasingly a study of the biological infrastructure of the planet itself.
Human Health & Medical Mycology
| Monash University | Phys.org | 19 August 2026
Researchers found that the bacterial metabolite gladiolin can suppress Candida albicans virulence and improve its susceptibility to amphotericin B.
| Kevin Myatt | Phys.org | 10 August 2026
Researchers are probing how Cryptococcus changes from a largely silent infection into a dangerous invasive fungal disease.
| Krishna Ramanujan | Cornell Chronicle | 8 June 2026
Cornell funding supports basic fungal-biology research aimed at opening new paths toward treatment of serious fungal diseases.
| Erin Garcia de Jesús | Science News | 23 July 2025
Warming conditions may shift fungal spore seasons earlier, potentially extending or intensifying allergy exposure in some regions.
| University of Pennsylvania | ScienceDaily | 23 June 2025
Researchers isolated potent anticancer molecules from Aspergillus flavus, showing how a notorious fungus may also yield useful drugs.
| Tina Hesman Saey | Science News | 13 May 2025
Fungal diseases are increasing while medicine still has relatively few antifungal drug classes or licensed vaccines.
| Tina Hesman Saey | Science News | 1 April 2025
A new antifungal candidate attacks a vulnerable biochemical process in pathogenic fungi, potentially expanding the limited treatment arsenal.
| Jim Schnabel | Cornell Chronicle | 3 December 2024
Research on a common gut fungus explores how fungal residents can shape immune responses, symbiosis, and allergic disease.
| Michigan State University | EurekAlert | 7 August 2024
Researchers examined how pathogenic fungi evade antifungal treatment, improving understanding of mechanisms that contribute to drug resistance.
| Langdon Cook | National Geographic | 12 March 2024
Researchers are examining both tumor-associated fungi and mushroom-derived compounds for possible insights into cancer biology and treatment.
| University of Rovira i Virgili | Phys.org | 23 February 2024
Scientists identified previously unknown freshwater fungi with characteristics suggesting that some could be relevant to human health.
| Stony Brook University | Phys.org | 4 December 2023
A study explores how hypochlorous acid, a bleach-like chemical produced by immune cells, affects a common fungal pathogen.
| Molly Callahan | Phys.org | 29 March 2023
The article examines the hospital spread of drug-resistant Candida auris and explains why real fungal threats differ from science-fiction scenarios.
| Margaret Osborne | Smithsonian Magazine | 9 March 2023
Researchers named newly identified fungus-killing compounds after actor Keanu Reeves while investigating their possible antimicrobial uses.
| Gerry Wright | Phys.org / The Conversation | 24 February 2023
The article contrasts fictional fungal zombies with the real and growing problem of antifungal drug resistance.
| Justin Beardsley | Phys.org / The Conversation | 17 February 2023
An international assessment examines the expanding threat from invasive fungal infections and the limited treatment options available.
Psychedelics & Medicinal Mushroom Research
| Eli Stark-Elster | Smithsonian Magazine | 11 August 2026
A small clinical trial suggests psilocybin-assisted therapy may increase cognitive flexibility in some people with longstanding anorexia.
| Lisa Potter | Phys.org | 6 August 2026
Researchers identified the mushroom linked to unusual reports of hallucinations involving tiny humanlike figures.
| University of California, San Francisco | ScienceDaily | 22 July 2026
A study reports lasting brain changes after psilocybin exposure, adding to research on how psychedelic mushroom compounds affect neural networks.
| Sara Hashemi | Smithsonian Magazine | 28 October 2025
Two unrelated mushroom groups evolved different biochemical pathways for producing psilocybin, an example of convergent chemical evolution.
| Daniel Merino | National Geographic | 2 October 2025
Several potent Psilocybe species have adapted especially well to urban wood-chip beds in the Pacific Northwest.
Genetic analysis indicates that psychedelic mushrooms evolved the ability to manufacture psilocybin independently in separate fungal lineages.
| West Virginia University | ScienceDaily | 2 June 2025
A student helped identify a long-sought fungus connected to Albert Hofmann’s research, resolving a decades-old mycological mystery.
| Eddie Johnston | Kew | 14 January 2025
Kew reviews lion’s mane fungus, its biology, ecological role, cultivation, and the evidence surrounding claims about medicinal benefits.
| Lisa Potter | Phys.org | 10 January 2024
Genomic research traces the evolution of psilocybin production in magic mushrooms and the evolutionary history of the responsible genes.
| Cell Press | Phys.org | 4 December 2023
Sequencing more than 100 psilocybin-mushroom genomes revealed substantial genetic diversity that could guide research and future cultivation.
Agriculture, Plant Health & Crop Disease
| Mathias Martin | Phys.org | 7 August 2026
A mobile fungal DNA element called a Starship carries a protein that can trigger leaf loss in crop plants.
| Freie Universität Berlin | Phys.org | 19 June 2026
Underground fungi are highlighted as major drivers of soil carbon storage, crop health, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability.
| Hebrew University of Jerusalem | EurekAlert | 27 July 2025
Scientists revived decades-old fungal samples to investigate traits that could improve crop resilience and sustainable agricultural practices.
| Australian National University | Phys.org | 27 February 2025
Scientists identified a common molecular weapon used by disease-causing fungi, a discovery that could aid efforts to breed more resilient crops.
| Mia von Scheven | Phys.org | 17 February 2025
A study of plant immune mechanisms offers a possible blueprint for breeding cereal crops with stronger resistance to fungal disease.
| John Innes Centre | Phys.org | 15 January 2025
A root gene mutation strengthened beneficial microbial partnerships, pointing toward crops that might require less synthetic fertilizer.
| Rothamsted Research | Phys.org | 9 January 2025
Scientists identified a fungal gene involved in pathogenicity that could become a target for controlling destructive plant diseases.
| Friederike Gawlik | Phys.org | 9 January 2025
Natural compounds produced by a soil fungus showed promise as potential alternatives to environmentally harmful agricultural pesticides.
| University of Ottawa | Phys.org | 7 March 2024
Genetic research examines how fungal traits shape interactions with plants and influence plant health.
| University of Minnesota | Phys.org | 5 March 2024
Researchers are evaluating a crown rust fungus as a possible biological control for two invasive plant species in Minnesota.
| Cranfield University | EurekAlert | 19 January 2024
A new research center aims to explore fungi as an underused biological resource for food, materials, agriculture, and biotechnology.
| University of Tsukuba | Phys.org | 25 September 2023
Scientists discovered a plant-pathogenic fungus on the world's northernmost island, extending knowledge of fungal life in extreme Arctic environments.
| University of Turku | Phys.org | 28 August 2023
Beneficial fungal-plant symbiosis may improve crop stress tolerance and offer a tool for building resilience under changing environmental conditions.
| Mia von Scheven | Phys.org | 2 August 2023
Structural biology reveals details of the molecular arms race between crop immune systems and proteins deployed by fungal pathogens.
| University of Cambridge | Phys.org | 1 June 2023
Beneficial and pathogenic fungi may use related molecular tools to manipulate plant cells, revealing similarities between cooperation and disease.
| University of Córdoba | Phys.org | 16 May 2023
Researchers identified a strategy for limiting a fungal disease capable of infecting more than 150 crop species.
| Kiel University | Phys.org | 3 May 2023
Researchers warn that fungal crop diseases are a growing threat to global food security and call for improved surveillance and control strategies.
| Emily Dooley | Phys.org | 23 February 2023
The fungus responsible for pine ghost canker was detected in Southern California, raising concern for susceptible urban and forest trees.
| Robert Sanders | Phys.org | 13 February 2023
A discovery about fungal infection mechanisms could support development of new fungicides for protecting rice and other crops.
Wildlife, Animal–Fungus Interactions & Disease
| Rose Upton, Alex Callen and Anne Ibbotson | Phys.org / The Conversation | 5 August 2026
Research on chytrid-resistant frogs asks whether interventions that improve survival may also affect reproduction and long-term population recovery.
| University College London | ScienceDaily | 14 July 2026
Researchers identified biological differences that may help explain why some frog populations survive infection with deadly chytrid fungus.
| Jennifer Holland | Phys.org | 2 July 2026
A study suggests that some insect-pathogenic fungi have broader host diets than previously recognized, affecting ideas about biological control.
| Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change | ScienceDaily | 17 June 2026
Scientists described a spider that appears to disguise itself as a parasitic fungus, illustrating an unusual evolutionary strategy.
| Kunjal Bastola | Smithsonian Magazine | 3 March 2026
Scientists are experimentally returning captive-bred Panamanian golden frogs to controlled wild settings despite continued chytrid-fungus pressure.
| Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | ScienceDaily | 19 January 2026
Evidence links the international frog-meat trade to the global spread of the chytrid fungus that has devastated amphibians.
| Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Kew | 8 January 2026
Kew’s annual species roundup includes a newly described zombie fungus that parasitizes trapdoor spiders in Brazil.
| Damian Carrington | The Guardian | 8 January 2026
Kew scientists’ annual discoveries include a Brazilian zombie fungus that infects trapdoor spiders and grows through their burrows.
| Meghan Rosen | Science News | 21 July 2025
The fly-killing fungus Entomophthora muscae appears to use its own internal clock to synchronize host death around sunset.
| Susan Milius | Science News | 8 July 2025
Cordyceps manipulates caterpillar metabolism and feeding, helping infected hosts accumulate resources that ultimately benefit the fungus.
| Sara Hashemi | Smithsonian Magazine | 30 June 2025
Ninety-nine-million-year-old amber preserves fungi infecting insects, offering rare fossil evidence for ancient zombie-fungus relationships.
| Sofia Caetano Avritzer | Science News | 24 June 2025
Amber fossils show zombie-like fungi infecting insects 99 million years ago, pushing their known evolutionary history deep into the Cretaceous.
| Lillian Ali | Smithsonian Magazine | 30 May 2025
Researchers warn that another cold-loving fungus could pose a future threat to bats already devastated by white-nose syndrome.
| McKenzie Prillaman | Science News | 10 February 2025
A newly described fungus named for David Attenborough manipulates cave spiders in ways that may improve spore dispersal.
| Susan Milius | Science News | 6 February 2025
DNA from fossil moa droppings reveals the birds consumed and dispersed ecologically important trufflelike fungi in New Zealand forests.
| Sarah Kuta | Smithsonian Magazine | 22 January 2025
Ancient moa droppings show that the extinct birds ate colorful trufflelike fungi and likely dispersed their spores through forests.
| Bob Yirka | Phys.org | 15 January 2025
DNA from fossil moa droppings revealed that the extinct birds ate trufflelike fungi and likely dispersed their spores through New Zealand forests.
| Sarah Kuta | Smithsonian Magazine | 27 June 2024
Warm artificial shelters helped frogs clear chytrid infections and increased their resistance to later exposure in experiments.
| Eva Sittig | Phys.org | 8 March 2024
Horizontal gene transfer appears to have helped insect-infecting fungi acquire traits that improve their ability to exploit animal hosts.
| Morris Animal Foundation | Phys.org | 12 December 2023
A new early-detection method aims to identify fungal disease threats in traded animals before infections spread into vulnerable wild populations.
| University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture | Phys.org | 14 June 2023
Modeling indicates severe risks to North American amphibians if the salamander chytrid fungus establishes itself on the continent.
| Pennsylvania State University | Phys.org | 11 June 2023
Experimental vaccination against chytrid fungus altered the frog microbiome in ways that may help prepare animals for later exposure.
| Kaya Klop-Toker and Karthikeyan Vasudevan | Phys.org / The Conversation | 24 May 2023
Improved testing for amphibian chytrid disease could help conservationists detect infections earlier and manage one of the world's most destructive wildlife pathogens.
| Will Sullivan | Smithsonian Magazine | 26 January 2023
The article explains the real Cordyceps and Ophiocordyceps fungi that manipulate insects and inspired the fictional outbreak in The Last of Us.
| Western Sydney University | Phys.org | 17 January 2023
Researchers found that chytrid infection causes broad biological disruption in frogs, although the severity and pattern vary among species.
| University of Tsukuba | Phys.org | 12 October 2022
A fungus living inside cave crickets provides clues about evolutionary transitions between fungal lifestyles and host associations.
Mycorrhizae, Soil, Forests & Carbon
| Technical University of Munich | Phys.org | 3 August 2026
A new imaging approach reveals three-dimensional underground fungal networks around roots without destroying the delicate plant-fungus system.
| Margherita Bassi | Smithsonian Magazine | 18 June 2026
Scientists produced a global map of arbuscular mycorrhizal networks and estimated their immense length, biomass, and role in carbon cycling.
| Bethany Brookshire | National Geographic | 11 June 2026
The first global map of arbuscular mycorrhizal networks estimates an extraordinary amount of fungal hyphae in the planet’s topsoil.
| Pippa Neill and Patrick Barkham | The Guardian | 11 June 2026
A global mapping study estimates more than 100 quadrillion kilometers of arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphae in Earth’s upper soils.
| Sara Hashemi | Smithsonian Magazine | 30 April 2026
Lower competition from other mycorrhizal fungi may help explain why European black truffles thrive in Australian orchards.
| Sofia Moutinho | Mongabay | 9 April 2026
Research on Chilean conifers reveals diverse underground fungal partnerships that help sustain ancient forest ecosystems.
| Kunjal Bastola | Smithsonian Magazine | 13 March 2026
Fire-loving fungi possess genetic adaptations for breaking down charcoal and may help restore nutrients and soil structure after wildfires.
| Lund University | EurekAlert | 13 February 2026
Researchers found that fungal recycling strategies can influence how much carbon forests retain in soils and biomass.
| Abhishyant Kidangoor | Mongabay | 11 February 2026
SPUN co-founder Toby Kiers discusses efforts to map mycorrhizal networks and incorporate fungi into global conservation planning.
| Kobe University | ScienceDaily | 8 October 2025
Researchers discovered orchids sprouting from decaying wood, revealing an unusual dependence on fungal partners for nutrients.
| Eddie Johnston | Kew | 27 August 2025
An accessible overview explains how mycorrhizal fungi trade nutrients with plants and support soils, forests, and ecosystem resilience.
| Matthew Ponsford | The Guardian | 15 August 2025
Forest restoration projects increasingly investigate whether rebuilding mycorrhizal fungal communities can improve tree establishment and ecosystem recovery.
| Amber X. Chen | Smithsonian Magazine | 25 July 2025
Global modeling suggests more than 90 percent of predicted mycorrhizal fungal diversity hotspots fall outside protected areas.
| Northern Arizona University | EurekAlert | 4 July 2025
Research shows how plant-associated fungi help vegetation survive harsh environments by influencing nutrient exchange and stress tolerance.
| Sam Lee | Mongabay | 4 June 2025
A video feature explains how fungal networks support soil carbon, forests, and climate resilience while remaining underprotected.
| Bethany Brookshire | National Geographic | 9 April 2025
Researchers visualized how mycorrhizal networks grow, branch, and transport resources, offering a real-world contrast to fungal science fiction.
| Jonathan Cazabonne and Danny Haelewaters | Phys.org / The Conversation | 17 March 2025
The authors argue that fungi remain neglected in conservation despite their essential roles in decomposition, nutrient cycling, symbiosis, and ecosystem stability.
| Max Planck Society | Phys.org | 7 March 2025
Plant stress hormones were found to influence beneficial fungal partnerships, revealing another layer of control over root symbiosis.
| University of Oxford | Phys.org | 22 January 2025
A study questions popular claims of plant altruism through mycorrhizal networks and suggests plants may more often exploit information and resources opportunistically.
| University of Cologne | EurekAlert | 27 November 2024
Scientists identified mechanisms that fungi use to colonize plant roots, helping explain how beneficial symbioses become established.
| Bev Betkowski | Phys.org | 1 October 2024
Researchers challenge a simple carbon-for-nutrients marketplace model of plant-fungal symbiosis and argue the relationship is more complex.
| Society for the Protection of Underground Networks | Phys.org | 27 May 2024
Climate-driven tree migration may separate trees from the specialized soil fungi they depend on, potentially complicating forest adaptation.
| Michigan State University | Phys.org | 7 February 2024
Research on moss-fungus relationships explores how ancient plant lineages distinguish helpful fungal partners from harmful ones.
| Boyce Thompson Institute | Phys.org | 25 January 2024
Researchers investigated the molecular dynamics of plant-fungal symbiosis to better understand how roots and fungi establish beneficial partnerships.
| Stephanie Seay | Phys.org | 17 January 2024
A modeling framework describes fungal partners as selective gatekeepers that can shape which microbes participate in plant-associated communities.
| Ben Evans and Rowena Hill | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 19 October 2023
Kew scientists explain why fungal conservation matters for ecosystems, plants, nutrient cycling, food systems, and biodiversity.
| Cell Press | Phys.org | 5 June 2023
A global analysis estimates that mycorrhizal fungi receive a substantial fraction of plant-fixed carbon, emphasizing their importance to the carbon cycle.
| Aaron J. Bouchie | Cornell Chronicle | 28 February 2019
Scientists clarified the structure of interfaces where plants and mycorrhizal fungi exchange nutrients, improving understanding of a foundational symbiosis.
Biodiversity, Evolution, Taxonomy & Conservation
| Cell Press | Phys.org | 13 August 2026
Scientists argue that fungal age is unusually difficult to define because mycelial networks continually grow, fragment, fuse, and recycle themselves.
| Ingrid Fadelli | Phys.org | 31 July 2026
Fossil evidence may push the origins of lichen-like fungal-algal partnerships back to roughly 600 million years ago.
| Pensoft Publishers | Phys.org | 30 July 2026
An Amazonian zombie fungus appears to maintain a hidden life stage inside forest mosses, adding complexity to its ecology.
| Rose Miyatsu | UC Santa Cruz | 24 July 2026
A seed-funded project will investigate electrical signaling in fungal networks after wildfire, linking genomics, ecology, and ecosystem recovery.
| Jules Bernstein | Phys.org | 18 June 2026
A newly studied fungus associated with moss may revise scientists’ understanding of an ancient fungal lineage and its evolutionary history.
| Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Kew | 16 June 2026
Kew’s 2026 assessment examines how artificial intelligence, digitization, and global collections are changing plant and fungal discovery and conservation.
| Whitney Bauck | The Guardian | 14 April 2026
African mycologists are building research networks, fungaria, and conservation initiatives to document a vast but poorly studied fungal kingdom.
| Liz Kimbrough | Mongabay | 12 January 2026
A photo-focused roundup highlights newly named plants and fungi documented by Kew scientists and international collaborators.
| Sebastian Kettley and Martin Cheek | Kew | 8 January 2026
Kew highlights ten newly named species from 2025, including fungi that demonstrate how much biodiversity remains scientifically undescribed.
| Sean Mowbray | Mongabay | 20 December 2025
A California survey seeks baseline data on fungal diversity so fungi can be better represented in conservation decisions.
| Dan White | UC Santa Cruz | 21 November 2025
The article explores Merlin Sheldrake's work on fungal biology, symbiosis, decomposition, and the hidden ecological importance of mycelial networks.
| Universitat Oberta de Catalunya | ScienceDaily | 28 October 2025
New evolutionary evidence supports the view that fungi colonized terrestrial surfaces before plants and helped prepare land for complex ecosystems.
| Universitat Oberta de Catalunya | EurekAlert | 22 October 2025
Evolutionary evidence suggests fungi reached land far earlier than once believed and may have helped prepare terrestrial environments for later plant life.
| Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology | ScienceDaily | 1 October 2025
A large evolutionary analysis suggests fungi diversified long before land plants and may have helped make terrestrial environments habitable.
| UNIVATES | ScienceDaily | 27 September 2025
Rare fossil spores provide evidence about ancient fungi and their ecological roles in ecosystems that predate the dinosaurs.
| Shreya Dasgupta | Mongabay | 29 July 2025
Research suggests invasive golden oyster mushrooms can reduce native fungal diversity in North American forests.
| Amber X. Chen | Smithsonian Magazine | 18 July 2025
Invasive golden oyster mushrooms were associated with sharply reduced fungal diversity in colonized North American trees.
| Society for the Protection of Underground Networks | ScienceDaily | 15 June 2025
A global analysis estimates that most climate-important fungal biodiversity remains undocumented, leaving major conservation blind spots.
| Society for the Protection of Underground Networks | EurekAlert | 9 June 2025
Global mapping identified hotspots of poorly characterized underground fungi, highlighting major gaps in knowledge of fungal biodiversity.
| Science China Press | ScienceDaily | 8 June 2025
A 160-million-year-old fossil fungus shows specialized structures that pierced plant tissue, illuminating the history of fungal parasitism.
| University of Zurich | ScienceDaily | 16 May 2025
Trees associated with two different fungal partners can gain complementary benefits that improve growth and ecological fitness.
| Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Kew | 15 May 2025
Kew showcases notable specimens from its vast Fungarium, ranging from zombie fungi to historic collections from Darwin’s Beagle voyage.
| Kew Science News | Kew | 15 May 2025
Digitization of Kew’s Fungarium is making millions of fungal specimens more accessible for taxonomy, ecology, and conservation research.
| Bobby Bascomb | Mongabay | 2 April 2025
Updated Red List assessments indicate that a substantial share of evaluated fungi face extinction risks from habitat loss and other pressures.
| Malaka Rodrigo | Mongabay | 26 March 2025
A rare mushroom rediscovered in Sri Lanka after roughly a century highlights the island’s understudied fungal diversity.
| Uppsala University | Phys.org | 18 March 2025
Researchers described a previously unknown fungus from old-growth forest, underscoring how much fungal diversity remains undocumented.
| Kobe University | Phys.org | 19 February 2025
Research on orchids shows how some plants obtain nutrients from fungal partners, illuminating the continuum between photosynthesis and fungal parasitism.
| Leila Okahata | Phys.org | 10 February 2025
Researchers and a trained dog are helping document Oregon's hidden truffle diversity and the ecological relationships of underground fungi.
| Haoyun Liu | Phys.org | 7 January 2025
Artists and scientists collaborated on the discovery of a bioluminescent mushroom in Switzerland, expanding knowledge of European glowing fungi.
| Sebastian Kettley and Martin Cheek | Kew | 19 December 2024
Kew’s species discoveries of 2024 include newly described fungi and emphasize the continued importance of taxonomy.
| Eddie Johnston | Kew | 12 November 2024
A tour of Kew’s Fungarium explains why preserving physical fungal specimens remains essential to identification and biodiversity research.
| Rowena Hill | Phys.org / The Conversation | 15 October 2024
Favorable autumn conditions created strong opportunities to observe diverse mushrooms and other fungi while learning about their ecological roles.
| Tohoku University | Phys.org | 8 October 2024
Experiments suggest fungal mycelia respond differently to spatial arrangements, raising questions about how fungal networks sense and organize their surroundings.
| Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology | EurekAlert | 27 June 2024
Some mushrooms possess unusually expanded genomes that may help them shift among multiple ecological lifestyles and host relationships.
| Olivia Campbell | National Geographic | 1 May 2024
The article explains how expanding underground mycelium creates mushroom fairy rings and traces the folklore surrounding them.
| New York University | Phys.org | 25 March 2024
Researchers identified an evolutionary tipping point associated with major changes in fungal form and ecological strategy.
| Nick Martin | National Geographic | 12 March 2024
A growing conservation movement argues that funga deserves recognition alongside flora and fauna in biodiversity research and policy.
| Tsinghua University Press | Phys.org | 6 March 2024
Taxonomic research described a new fungal genus associated with grasses, adding to understanding of plant-associated fungal diversity.
| Mikayla Mace Kelley | Phys.org | 20 February 2024
Fungi living harmlessly inside healthy plants were found to be sensitive to climate conditions, suggesting environmental change may alter these hidden communities.
The authors explain how plants may recruit beneficial fungi to help resist pests and disease, with implications for greener farming and restoration.
| University of Copenhagen | Phys.org | 23 October 2023
Research suggests some Mycena fungi are evolving from decomposer lifestyles toward the ability to invade living plant hosts.
| Eddie Johnston | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 10 October 2023
Kew summarizes major findings and knowledge gaps from the 2023 State of the World's Plants and Fungi assessment.
| U.S. Department of Energy | Phys.org | 10 August 2023
Researchers identified a gene and regulatory mechanism that help determine how plants form relationships with fungal partners.
| Bob Yirka | Phys.org | 8 May 2023
Measurements show mushrooms can maintain temperatures below their surroundings through evaporative cooling, with effects extending to nearby air.
| Ben Evans and Rowena Hill | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 4 May 2023
Genome sequencing is helping researchers identify fungal threats as well as useful species with potential ecological, medical, and industrial applications.
| Eddie Johnston and Grace Brewer | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 11 March 2023
An introduction to mycelium explores the largely hidden networks that make up most fungal bodies and support ecosystem processes.
| DOE Joint Genome Institute | Phys.org | 1 March 2023
Comparative genomics traces the evolutionary history of shiitake mushrooms and the genetic changes associated with their diversification.
| Dartmouth College | Phys.org | 5 December 2022
Research investigates poorly understood fungal roles in ecosystems and how hidden fungal diversity influences ecological processes.
| Eddie Johnston | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 14 October 2022
Kew highlights unusual fungal forms and lifestyles while explaining the ecological diversity of the fungal kingdom.
| Eddie Johnston | Kew | 7 October 2022
A broad introduction explains what fungi are, how they differ from plants and animals, and why they are fundamental to ecosystems.
| University of Bristol | Phys.org | 15 August 2022
A large evolutionary study links major bursts of fungal diversification to the emergence of new forms and ecological strategies.
| Bob Yirka | Phys.org | 7 April 2022
Researchers analyzed electrical activity in fungal networks and proposed recurring patterns that may function as a basic signaling system.
| Martin Cheek, Tuula Niskanen and Heather McLeod | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 6 January 2022
Kew's annual roundup includes newly described fungi and illustrates the continuing pace of species discovery.
| Martin Cheek and Heather McLeod | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 17 December 2020
Kew profiles notable species newly named in 2020, including fungi that expand understanding of global biodiversity.
| Grace Brewer and Ellen McHale | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 20 November 2020
Kew offers practical guidance for noticing fungal diversity and recognizing common places and conditions where fungi fruit.
| Katie Avis-Riordan | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 30 September 2020
A summary of Kew's global assessment reviews new findings about plant and fungal diversity, extinction risk, and scientific knowledge gaps.
| Grace Brewer | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 31 October 2019
An accessible overview introduces fungal diversity, ecological roles, and some of the unusual forms found across the kingdom.
Biotechnology, Materials & Industrial Applications
| Scott Gibson | Phys.org | 11 August 2026
Fungal chitin is being investigated as a renewable way to strengthen hydrogels for medical devices, sensors, and soft robotics.
| National University of Singapore | Phys.org | 11 August 2026
Engineered yeast that responds independently to red and blue light could make microbial biofactories more precisely programmable.
| Laura Reiley | Cornell Chronicle | 3 March 2026
Cornell researchers are among scientists exploring biohybrid robots whose movement and sensing are partly controlled by living fungal mycelium.
| Laura Reiley | Cornell Chronicle | 25 February 2026
A review proposes circular fungal biorefineries that convert agricultural leftovers into high-protein foods and other useful products.
| Linda Geddes | The Guardian | 29 November 2025
Researchers and startups are using fungi for biodegradable materials, chemical production, waste treatment, sensors, and experimental electronics.
| Cell Press | ScienceDaily | 21 November 2025
Researchers engineered a fungus-based food process designed to produce meatlike products while reducing resource use and greenhouse-gas emissions.
| Cell Press | EurekAlert | 19 November 2025
Genetically engineered fungi produced protein-rich foods with meatlike qualities while potentially reducing the land and resource demands of conventional meat.
| University of Maryland | ScienceDaily | 27 October 2025
Scientists used fungal biotechnology to convert flower-fragrance chemistry into compounds with potential mosquito-control applications.
| Ohio State University | ScienceDaily | 26 October 2025
Researchers demonstrated electronics based on fungal mycelium, pointing toward low-cost, biodegradable forms of unconventional computing.
| Ohio State University | EurekAlert | 24 October 2025
Scientists are developing experimental computers that use living mushroom mycelium as part of their sensing and information-processing systems.
| University of Utah | EurekAlert | 1 October 2025
Researchers studied fungal structures as a biological model for designing tougher and more adaptable next-generation hydrogels.
| Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts | EurekAlert | 26 July 2025
Genetic engineering allowed researchers to tune mycelium properties across a wide range, suggesting applications from soft materials to strong composites.
| Mongabay.com | Mongabay | 24 June 2025
Fungi and mycelium are being developed for packaging, building materials, food, textiles, and other lower-impact industrial products.
| McMaster University | EurekAlert | 9 June 2025
Scientists selectively bred mushrooms to produce mycelium with useful material properties for natural substitutes to conventional manufactured products.
| Empa | EurekAlert | 13 May 2025
Researchers created a living fungal material that combines structural properties with biological functions and potential sustainability advantages.
| Lauren Oster | Smithsonian Magazine | 12 May 2025
Mycoremediation projects are testing fungi as tools for breaking down pollutants and helping restore contaminated soils.
| Margherita Bassi | Smithsonian Magazine | 24 April 2025
Researchers combined mycelium with living bacteria to create experimental construction material that may eventually support self-healing structures.
| Cell Press | EurekAlert | 16 April 2025
A living fungus-based construction material remained capable of repairing damage for more than a month, suggesting possibilities for self-healing materials.
| Aaron Tremper | Science News | 28 February 2025
Engineers are wiring living fungal mycelium into robots so biological electrical signals can help machines sense and respond to surroundings.
| Society for the Protection of Underground Networks | Phys.org | 26 February 2025
A robotic system tracks exchanges between plants and mycorrhizal fungi, helping scientists quantify underground nutrient-trading networks.
| Marcie Grabowski | Phys.org | 13 February 2025
Marine fungi were shown to degrade plastic, and laboratory conditioning increased their ability to break the material down.
| Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts | EurekAlert | 29 November 2024
Researchers review mycelium-based biocomposites as renewable materials for packaging, construction, and other applications.
| Claire Turrell | Mongabay | 29 October 2024
Startups are testing mycelium-based packaging as a biodegradable substitute for plastic and polystyrene in seafood supply chains.
| Sandra Mehlhase | Phys.org | 2 September 2024
Researchers are developing fungal mycelium as a renewable base material for packaging, insulation, and other lower-impact products.
| Giri Nathan | National Geographic | 12 March 2024
Designers and materials scientists are developing mycelium-based textiles as compostable alternatives to leather and petroleum-derived fabrics.
| MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences | Phys.org | 8 March 2024
Scientists adapted the chemistry of fungal bioluminescence to produce autonomous light in plant and animal cells.
| SciOpen | EurekAlert | 10 January 2024
Researchers combined mycelium with agricultural residues and plant fibers to investigate more sustainable material alternatives.
| Chris Barncard | Phys.org | 20 July 2023
A chemistry-guided algorithm mines fungal genomes for potentially useful natural products, accelerating discovery of new molecules.
| University of Bayreuth | Phys.org | 22 June 2023
A new isotope-analysis method helps researchers investigate plants that obtain carbon and nutrients by exploiting fungal partners.
Food, Fermentation, Foraging & Cultivation
| Christina Nunez | National Geographic | 23 April 2026
A practical science-based guide explains morel ecology, seasonal emergence, safe foraging, and the danger of poisonous lookalikes.
| American Society for Microbiology | ScienceDaily | 21 January 2026
Research shows that microbial communities, including yeasts and other fungi, help determine the flavor and behavior of sourdough starters.
| Sara Hashemi | Smithsonian Magazine | 10 October 2025
Archived cheese samples let researchers trace a genetic change that turned a formerly green mold rind white.
| Huw Griffith | Phys.org | 21 October 2024
Mushroom hunters and mycologists are documenting new fungal species while campaigning for fungi to receive greater scientific and conservation recognition.
| University of Tokyo | Phys.org | 6 September 2023
Researchers show how fungi usually associated with food spoilage might be redirected toward useful fermentation and reduced food waste.
| Sarah Kuta | Smithsonian Magazine | 28 March 2023
Heavy winter rains produced unusually abundant mushroom fruiting across California, giving mycologists and foragers a conspicuous fungal season.
| Gregory Moore | Phys.org / The Conversation | 6 June 2022
The article explains why favorable weather can trigger conspicuous mushroom fruiting and encourages observation of native fungal diversity.
| Ellen McHale | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 30 June 2020
The article explores the many fungi involved in everyday foods, fermentation, medicines, and useful biological processes.
Climate, Extreme Environments & Space
| LMU Munich | Phys.org | 17 June 2026
Researchers found evidence that fungi contribute to carbon processing and storage in Arctic fjord sediments, an often-overlooked marine role.
| Carolyn Gramling | Science News | 19 May 2026
Climate modeling suggests warming Antarctic soils could expand habitat for plant-pathogenic fungi and create new disease pressure on native vegetation.
| Margherita Bassi | Smithsonian Magazine | 13 May 2026
A fungus isolated from NASA clean rooms survived harsh simulated space conditions, raising questions about planetary-protection sterilization standards.
| Indian Institute of Science | ScienceDaily | 9 February 2026
A microscopic organism survived extreme Mars-like conditions, informing research on microbial resilience and planetary protection.
| Desert Research Institute | ScienceDaily | 24 June 2025
A Mojave Desert lichen tolerated intense simulated radiation, providing clues to how symbiotic fungal life could endure extreme environments.
| Margherita Bassi | Smithsonian Magazine | 28 March 2025
A private spaceflight experiment aims to test whether oyster mushrooms can grow in microgravity as a possible future crew food.
| Karl Leif Bates | Phys.org | 30 January 2023
Laboratory evolution experiments suggest warming may increase the ability of some fungi to tolerate mammalian body temperatures and become more pathogenic.
