Rare fungus that smells like rotting FLESH pops up in a Berkshire garden

Rare fungus that smells like rotting FLESH and looks like a ‘chewed-up dog toy’ pops up in a Berkshire garden in only the sixth time it has ever been spotted in the UK Terry Driscoll and Stephanie Slann spotted the strange fungus in their garden At first, the couple mistook the fungus for a ‘chewed-up … Read more

Penicillin: fungus accidentally grown by Fleming in 1928 has its genome sequenced for the first time

The mould that changed the world: Penicillin fungus accidentally grown by Alexander Fleming in 1928 has its genome sequenced for the first time Researchers cultivated mould from frozen samples of Fleming’s original fungus They then compared its genome with those of modern strains used industrially These US versions make penicillin slightly differently to Flemings’ wild … Read more

‘Living coffin’ made of FUNGUS helps bodies decompose faster

In the US, a $20 billion funeral industry is focused on making people to forget the connection between death and decay. But a Dutch startup is getting back to basics with a ‘mushroom coffin’ made of mycelium -the vegetative part of fungus that grows underground. The Living Cocoon speeds the decomposition process, removes toxic materials … Read more

Could Chernobyl be key to conquering Mars? Fungus found in Ukrainian nuclear plant can EAT radiation

Humans could live on the planet Mars if a fungi which spawned inside the Chernobyl nuclear reactor is used to protect against radiation, scientists say. A layer of the fungus around 21 centimetres thick could ‘largely negate the annual dose-equivalent of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars’, researchers found. ‘What makes the fungus … Read more

Viking ship will be ‘urgently’ excavated to save its oak hull from being ravaged by a fungus 

A Viking ship buried in Norway for more than 1,000 years is set to be excavated — the first project of its kind in more than a century.  The undertaking is being called ‘urgent’ by archaeologists as the ship’s wooden hull, believed to be made of oak, is being ravaged by a fungus.  It is … Read more

New species of fungus that pierces its host to suck nutrients is discovered on TWITTER

New species of fungus that pierces its host to suck nutrients is discovered on TWITTER after biologists spot a image of an American millipede with bizarre red dots in a tweet A new species of fungus was discovered in a picture posted to Twitter Biologists  saw bizarre, tiny red dots on an American millipede  After … Read more

Health chiefs to tell hospitals how to treat a deadly fungus amid fears it is spreading globally 

Public health bosses will advise hospitals on how to cope with a deadly fungus that has become resistant to most drugs. Candida auris was first identified in 2009 and has since struck hundreds in Britain and the US, among other countries. Hospitals are now struggling to deal with the little-known fungus, prompting health officials in … Read more