A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa project to explore how bacteria and fungi interact that could shed light on health, environmental and even household issues has been awarded a $591,606 federal grant.
A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa project to explore how bacteria and fungi interact that could shed light on health, environmental and even household issues has been awarded a $591,606 federal grant.
The project, “Bacterial dispersal and nutrient transport along fungal highways,” looks at how bacteria move with the help of fungi. It will be led by UH Mānoa Associate Professors Daisuke Takagi from the Department of Mathematics in the College of Natural Sciences and Nhu Nguyen from the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.
While fungi are often thought of as molds or mushrooms, they also create tiny thread-like structures called hyphae that form networks across every exposed surface. These fungal “highways” can help bacteria spread and transport substances, including nutrients or harmful compounds, into new environments. By building mathematical models and testing them in controlled experiments, the UH team aims to better understand how this partnership works and how it affects larger systems.
Read more at: University of Hawaii
Photo showing bacteria spreading along a larger fungal network (Photo Credit: University of Hawaii)
