Research Keyword: operational taxonomic units

Effect of Cordyceps militaris Residue and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on Fermentation Quality and Bacterial Community of Alfalfa Silage

This research shows that waste leftover from growing medicinal mushrooms (Cordyceps militaris) can be effectively reused as an additive to improve the quality of stored animal feed (alfalfa silage). When the mushroom residue was added, it boosted beneficial bacteria that produce lactic acid, which preserved the feed better and reduced ammonia content. This finding offers an environmentally friendly way to reduce waste while simultaneously improving livestock feed quality.

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Effects of Long-Term Heavy Metal Pollution on Microbial Community Structure in Soil

Heavy metals from mining operations contaminate farmland soil and reduce its quality. This research examined how different types of bacteria and fungi adapt to living in heavily polluted soil by collecting samples from a contaminated farm in China. The study found that specific microorganism species thrive in different levels of contamination and could potentially be used to help clean up polluted soils through natural biological processes.

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Comparative Analysis of the Mycobiomes of Two Terrestrial Isopods, Armadillidium vulgare and Spherillo obscurus

This study compared the fungal communities living on two species of pill bugs found on Korean islands. Researchers discovered that one species, Spherillo obscurus, harbors a much more diverse and varied fungal community than the other species, Armadillidium vulgare, which is dominated by a single fungal genus. Interestingly, the type of isopod species was far more important in determining which fungi lived on them than the geographic location where they were found.

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Diverse, Cryptic, and Undescribed: Club and Coral Fungi in a Temperate Australian Forest

Researchers surveyed fungi in a small forest area near Sydney and found that nearly 90% of the club and coral fungi they discovered were previously unknown to science. By using DNA analysis, they were able to identify cryptic species that look identical but are genetically distinct. This study demonstrates just how much fungal diversity remains undocumented even in well-studied parts of the world, highlighting the need for more comprehensive fungal surveys and database development.

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Characterization of fungal communities transmitted from sow to piglet

This study examines how fungal communities pass from mother pigs to their newborns. Researchers collected samples from sow feces, sow vagina, and newborn piglet feces and analyzed their fungal composition. The findings show that newborn piglets acquire most of their gut fungi from their mother’s intestinal tract rather than her vagina. Understanding this transmission helps us learn how the healthy microbiota that protects young animals develops.

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Impact of Phellinus gilvus mycelia on growth, immunity and fecal microbiota in weaned piglets

Researchers tested whether a medicinal mushroom called Phellinus gilvus could replace antibiotics in pig feed as a growth promoter. Over 28 days, piglets fed mushroom-supplemented diets grew as well as those given antibiotics while showing even better immune system activation. Unlike antibiotics that drastically changed the gut bacteria composition, the mushroom only slightly modified it while still reducing harmful E. coli bacteria. This suggests the mushroom could be a safer alternative to antibiotics in pig farming.

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Gut fungal profiles reveal phylosymbiosis and codiversification across humans and nonhuman primates

Researchers studied fungal communities in the guts of humans and various primates to understand how these fungi evolved alongside their hosts. They discovered that more closely related primate species have more similar fungal communities, and that some fungi show signs of evolving together with primates over millions of years. These findings suggest that gut fungi are long-term partners with their hosts rather than temporary travelers from diet alone.

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Protein Coding Low-Copy rpb2 and ef1-α Regions Are Viable Fungal Metabarcoding DNA Markers Which Can Supplement ITS for Better Accuracy

Researchers tested different DNA markers for identifying fungal species using DNA sequencing technology. They compared the standard fungal marker (ITS) with two alternative protein-coding markers (rpb2 and ef1-α) on closely related mushroom species. The results showed that using multiple markers together provides better and more reliable identification of fungal species compared to using just one marker, which is especially useful for environmental monitoring and species identification studies.

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Seasonal discrepancy of airborne fungal diversity and community structure in Lentinula edodes factory

This study examined how fungal spores in the air of shiitake mushroom factories change with the seasons and relate to a disease called shiitake artificial log rot disease (SLRD). Researchers found that when temperatures drop and humidity rises in autumn and winter, a harmful fungus called Trichoderma thrives in the air and causes more disease. By keeping the growing areas warmer, growers can significantly reduce disease occurrence and protect both their crops and workers’ health.

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Progression of saproxylic fungal communities in fine woody debris in boreal forests of Oulanka, Finland, assessed by DNA metabarcoding

Researchers used a novel method called MycoPins—sterilized wooden pins buried in forest soil—combined with DNA analysis to identify and track fungal communities decomposing dead wood in Finnish boreal forests. Over one year, they found 215 fungal species colonizing these pins across three different forest types. Notably, 41 of these species had never been recorded in the region before, showing that DNA-based methods can reveal fungal diversity that traditional observation methods miss.

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