Research Keyword: directional memory

Hierarchical Structure of the Program Used by Filamentous Fungi to Navigate in Confining Microenvironments

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This research reveals how fungi navigate through tight spaces like soil and wood using sophisticated biological ‘programs’ operating at three levels: individual fungal threads, groups of threads, and entire fungal networks. Each level uses different strategies like sensing openings, remembering directions, and avoiding neighbors to efficiently explore confined spaces. By understanding these natural algorithms, scientists could develop new bio-inspired solutions for navigation and space exploration problems.

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Hierarchical Structure of the Program Used by Filamentous Fungi to Navigate in Confining Microenvironments

mycolabadmin

Fungi navigating through tight spaces like soil use sophisticated biological programs similar to computer algorithms. Researchers studied how three fungal species move through confined microfluidic channels, discovering they use a three-level system: individual threads sense passages and remember direction, groups of threads avoid each other and share resources, and entire fungal networks solve problems through local independent decisions. This hierarchical approach efficiently explores space while balancing energy use.

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An experimental approach to study foraging memory in ectomycorrhizal mycelium

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Researchers tested whether mushroom fungi can remember where they found food by exposing fungal cultures to pea nutrients and then transferring them to fresh medium to see if they would grow toward where the food had been. The fungi did not show this memory behavior, but the study revealed that chemical compounds from the peas influenced fungal growth patterns. This work provides valuable tools and insights for studying how fungi perceive and respond to their environment, emphasizing the importance of publishing negative results to advance scientific understanding.

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