All symbiosis articles
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NewsFungi–biochar partnership boosts soil health and crop growth under cadmium stress
A study reports that combining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with biochar can reshape soil microbiomes, reduce cadmium uptake, and dramatically improve plant growth, offering a sustainable strategy for restoring farmland contaminated with heavy metals.
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NewsTiny ocean partnership between algae and bacteria reveals secrets of evolution
The microscopic alliance between algae and bacteria offers rare, step-by-step snapshots of how bacteria lose genes and adapt to increasing host dependence, a new study shows.
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NewsFern leaf pockets hide secrets of plant-microbe symbiosis
Comparison of symbiotic bacteria to free-living relatives shows the genomic effects of host adaptation.
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NewsAnti-neuroinflammatory natural products from isopod-related fungus now accessible via chemical synthesis
Herpotrichone is valued for its ability to suppress inflammation in the brain and protect nerve cells, but could only be obtained in minute quantities from fungi that are symbiotic with isopods. Researchers have succeeded in chemically synthesizing this rare natural product.
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NewsAssisted by sniffer dogs and DNA sequencing, researchers discover three new truffle species
Biologists studying fungal evolution and ecology have discovered three new truffle species, including one capable of commanding hundreds of dollars per pound within culinary circles.
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NewsStudy reveals how climate shapes fungal spore traits with applications for soil health
A new study reports on how global climate conditions affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore traits and the species biogeographic patterns. The study is the first to examine multiple traits of this kind on a global scale.
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NewsHow fungus powers plant life in extreme environments
A new experiment suggests dark septate endophytes (DSEs) may be capable of linking the roots of neighboring plants to facilitate water sharing and boost their host’s biomass, and may even be keeping plant networks alive in drought-prone areas.
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NewsNitrogen may limit natural climate solutions
A global inventory reveals nitrogen is in shorter supply than previously thought in natural areas, which could limit carbon storage in plants and soils.
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NewsNew insights into divergent nitrogen fixation in subtropical forests
This study focuses on two primary forms of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF): symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF), which occurs within the root nodules of nitrogen-fixing plants, and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation (ANF), carried out by free-living microorganisms in soil and litter.
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NewsCoveted lac pigment may have a fungal origin
The colourful pigment extracted from the lac insect may actually be produced by a symbiotic yeast-like organism living inside the insect, a new study has found. The yeast-like organism exclusively harbours genes coding for key ingredients in the pigment synthesis pathway.
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NewsMicrobiome stability shapes how corals withstand extreme heat
A new study reveals why some corals resist bleaching while others don’t: the answer lies in a complex partnership between corals and their microbial allies, shaped by the history of the waters they inhabit.
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NewsCoral Art: Drawing out the secrets of coral reef resilience to high ocean temperatures
A researcher uses her art to explain how corals from more variable ocean environments may be better equipped to survive rising ocean temperatures than corals from more stable environments.
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NewsStudent discovers long-awaited mystery fungus sought by LSD’s inventor
A student has found a long sought-after fungus that produces effects similar to the semisynthetic drug LSD, which is used to treat conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.
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NewsHeat-tolerant symbionts a critical key to protecting elkhorn coral from bleaching during marine heatwaves
Heat-tolerant symbiotic algae may be essential to saving elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)—a foundational species in Caribbean reef ecosystems—from the devastating impacts of marine heatwaves and coral bleaching.
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NewsDual associations with two fungi improve tree fitness
Many tree species have formed a concurrent symbiosis with two different groups of mycorrhizal fungi. Those trees cope better with water and nutrient scarcity, which is an important trait for forestry in the face of climate warming.
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NewsA step towards life on Mars? Lichens survive Martian simulation in new study
For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that certain lichen species can survive Mars-like conditions, including exposure to ionising radiation, while maintaining a metabolically active state.
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NewsProfessor investigates how symbiotic groups - like corals and biofilms - can behave like single organisms
UNCG philosopher of biology Dr. Derek Skillings is the lead investigator on a new, three-year, $600,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation for a study of the emergence and evolution of goal-directed behavior in collective entities.
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NewsWe feed gut microbes sugar, they make a compound we need
Gut microbes that were thought to feed exclusively on dietary fiber are also fed sugar from our guts, from which they produce short-chain fatty acids that are crucial to many body functions.
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NewsHidden fungal allies strengthen defenses of black poplars and influence insect interactions
Endophytic fungi inside the leaves strengthen the chemical defenses of black poplars and influence the interactions between insect populations living on the trees.
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NewsHeat-stressed reefs may benefit from coral-dwelling crabs
A species of branching coral is able to recover from heat stress and wounds due to its mutualistic relationship with crabs in the Great Barrier Reef Corals, a new study shows. This evolutionary partnership will inspire coral reef restoration strategies in the future.