wood-decay fungi – mycolab.ai

Diversity of macrofungi in southeast Xizang 1. The wood-decay fungi

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Researchers surveyed wood-decay fungi in the forests of southeast Xizang and identified 558 different species, including one newly described species. This more than doubled the number of such fungi previously known from the region. Most species preferred either hardwood or softwood trees, and the fungi were classified as causing either white rot or brown rot. This study helps us understand the important decomposers that break down dead wood in China’s most biodiverse forest region.

First Report of Trametes hirsuta, Causal Agent White Rot in Avocado Trees Grown in the State of Michoacán, México

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Researchers discovered that a wood-decay fungus called Trametes hirsuta is causing serious damage to avocado trees in Michoacán, México, the world’s largest avocado-producing region. The fungus infects tree trunks and branches, causing white rot that eventually kills the trees. About 60% of surveyed avocado trees showed signs of infection. Laboratory experiments confirmed that this fungus, previously known only as a decomposer of dead wood, can actively infect and destroy living avocado trees through wounds in the bark.

Lomasomes and Other Fungal Plasma Membrane Macroinvaginations Have a Tubular and Lamellar Genesis

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Scientists studied mushroom cells to understand structures called lomasomes that form at the cell membrane surface. Using advanced microscopy techniques, they discovered these structures are made of tiny tubes and layers that can fold and swell into different shapes. These findings help explain how fungal cells that decompose wood organize their membranes and may be involved in how cells take in materials from their surroundings.

Innovative chitin-glucan based material obtained from mycelium of wood decay fungal strains

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Researchers have developed a new sustainable leather-like material from fungal mycelium that could replace traditional animal leather and synthetic alternatives. By growing specific wood decay fungi in controlled fermentation systems and extracting their chitin and glucan content, they created flexible sheets with mechanical properties similar to real leather. The materials are biodegradable, require no animal farming, and avoid toxic tanning processes, making them a promising eco-friendly solution for fashion and furniture industries.

Electrical integrity and week-long oscillation in fungal mycelia

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Researchers monitored electrical signals in fungal mycelial networks over 100 days to understand how fungi coordinate their activities across space. When fungi encountered wood to decompose, they generated a clear, directional electrical signal from the wood toward the rest of the mycelium, acting like a biological command center. Most remarkably, after 60 days, the fungi developed a week-long electrical rhythm at the wood site, the longest oscillation ever recorded in fungi, which may help the fungus remember resource locations and coordinate its decomposition activities.

Electrical integrity and week-long oscillation in fungal mycelia

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Researchers discovered that fungal mycelia (underground networks of fungal threads) use electrical signals to communicate across their bodies when searching for food like wood. When a fungus found a piece of wood to eat, it generated electrical signals that spread throughout its mycelial network, possibly helping coordinate the fungus’s response. Most remarkably, the fungus exhibited a peculiar electrical rhythm at the food location that cycled every week—the longest such pattern ever observed in fungi.

Reintroducing threatened pine-associated fungal species in boreal forests

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Researchers successfully used inoculation to introduce five rare fungal species back into protected forests in Finland. By injecting fungal cultures into pine logs, the fungi established successfully in 28-60% of logs within one year. The study shows that inoculation can be an effective tool for restoring threatened fungal species to forests, though long-term monitoring is needed to confirm these fungi will continue growing and producing fruiting bodies.

Phylogeny, taxonomy and geographic distribution of novel and known fungi with holoblastic-denticulate conidiogenesis in Rhamphoriales and Pleurotheciales (Sordariomycetes)

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Researchers have discovered and described four new fungal species that live in decaying wood and soil, particularly in temperate forests. These fungi share a unique way of producing spores (conidiogenesis) that helps scientists classify and understand their relationships. Using genetic sequencing and environmental DNA data from around the world, scientists mapped where these fungi are found and learned that different species prefer different climates. This research improves our understanding of fungal diversity and how these decomposer organisms are distributed globally.

Research Keyword: wood-decay fungi