Fungi's survival secrets

trueChemistry,College of Natural Science11/08/2023Fungi's survival secrets

Researchers led by Tuo Wang, the inaugural Carl H. Brubaker Jr. Endowed Associate Professor at Michigan State University, have revealed how microorganisms known as halophilic fungi restructure their cell walls to survive in extremely salty conditions. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, helps deepen our understanding of how life has adapted to our planet’s harshest environments.

New research published in the journal Nature Communications led by chemist Tuo Wang of Michigan State University helps deepen our understanding of how life has adapted to our planet’s harshest environments.
The research team revealed that, to survive in extremely salty settings, halophilic fungi can rearrange their cell walls to minimize water loss and uphold their structure.
This work could help researchers develop halophilic fungi for applications that would benefit humanity. For instance, such fungi could be harnessed to replace fresh water with seawater in industrial processes, potentially easing water scarcity concerns and reducing the risk of contamination from other microbes.

Department of Chemistry

Michigan State University researchers helped show how fungus like Aspergillus sydowii, shown here, can restructure their cell walls to survive in extremely salty conditions.

NMRchemistryenvironmental adaptationfungal cell wall