Tagged: fungi

Featured image: The world is desperate for new antibiotics, and New Zealand’s unique fungi are a source of promising compounds

The world is desperate for new antibiotics, and New Zealand’s unique fungi are a source of promising compounds - Hot off the press

Guest Author • Sep 10, 2021 •

Siouxsie Wiles, University of Auckland   While we’re all rightly focused on the COVID-19 pandemic at the moment, the SARS-CoV-2 virus isn’t the only microbial threat we face. Back in 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that within a decade, antibiotic-resistant bacteria could make routine surgery, organ transplantation and cancer treatment life-threateningly risky — and spell the … Read More

Featured image: Fungal infections worldwide are becoming resistant to drugs and more deadly

Fungal infections worldwide are becoming resistant to drugs and more deadly - Guest Work

Guest Author • Jun 29, 2021 •

Rodney E. Rohde, Texas State University   Say “fungus” and most people in the world would probably visualize a mushroom. But this fascinating and beautiful group of microbes has offered the world more than just foods like edible mushrooms. Fungi are also a source of antibiotics – for example, penicillin from Penicillium – as well as the yeasts and other … Read More

Featured image: Finish what’s on your plate

Finish what’s on your plate - Genomics Aotearoa

Genomics Aotearoa • Nov 04, 2019 •

Murray Cox Do I have to finish my favourite genome? That’s an often-asked question. Geneticists generally strive to produce high-quality genomes that sequence every last gene, making full use of the state-of-the-art technologies coming on stream. Sequencing DNA means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called “bases” – that make up the DNA molecule. The sequence … Read More

Featured image: Fighting fungi with feijoa

Fighting fungi with feijoa - Guest Work

Guest Author • Apr 12, 2019 •

Dr Andrew Munkacsi Many of us have heard of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, either through the media or perhaps knowing someone who died from such a bacterial infection. Just as there are bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics, there are fungal infections resistant to antifungal drugs.    Fungi are microbial organisms (not visible to the naked eye) that can infect plants, animals and humans. Read More

Featured image: Fungi can help concrete heal its own cracks

Fungi can help concrete heal its own cracks - Guest Work

Guest Author • Jan 30, 2018 •

Congrui Jin, Binghamton University, State University of New York This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Infrastructure supports and facilitates our daily lives – think of the roads we drive on, the bridges and tunnels that help transport people and freight, the office buildings where we work and the dams that … Read More

Featured image: Support science with these last minute Xmas gifts!

Support science with these last minute Xmas gifts! - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 11, 2015 •

If you are looking for gifts that are a little different, and like the idea of supporting scientific research, then we have just the thing for you! This year I’ve worked with a number of artists and illustrators to make amazing artworks out of naturally glowing bacteria. The artworks may only last a day or two but we took photos of … Read More

Monday Micro – Glowing Superbugs at TEDxChristchurch - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • May 18, 2015 •

Last November I talked about my research at TEDxChristchurch. It was my first experience of a TEDx event and I was blown away by how amazing and inspirational the day was. It was very humbling to have been given the opportunity to enthuse about bioluminescence and bacteria. Here’s the video of my talk, also featuring glowing caterpillars and … Read More

Fighting antibiotic resistance: from Obama to TV3! - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Sep 25, 2014 •

“Ascomycetes“. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons. Last week President Obama signed an Executive Order aimed at combating antibiotic resistant superbugs. The order establishes a task force and a Presidential Advisory Committee which will look at how the US can implement a national strategy to … Read More

Monday Micro – sloths a source of new drugs?! - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Jan 20, 2014 •

As a parent, I have watched the Ice Age movies more times than I care to admit. I quite like Sid the sloth but had no idea just how important his descendants could be in our fight against disease. Sloths are slow-moving tree-dwelling mammals found in the jungles of central and south America. They … Read More

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