Search for: All records

Over the last billion years, the fungal kingdom has diversified to over 10 million species with over 95% still undescribed. Beyond the well-known macroscopic mushrooms and microscopic yeast, fungi are heterotrophs that feed on almost any organic carbon, recycling nutrients through decay of dead plants and animals and sequestering carbon into the Earth’s ecosystems. Human directed applications of fungi extend from yeast responsible for leavened bread, alcoholic beverages, and biofuels to pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and psychoactive compounds. Conversely fungal infections pose risks to ecosystems ranging from crops to wildlife to humans, driven in part by human and animal movement and potentially accelerating with climate change. Genomic surveys are expanding our knowledge of the true biodiversity of the fungal kingdom while genome editing tools make it possible to imagine harnessing these organisms to fuel the bioeconomy. Here, we explore the fungal threats facing civilization and opportunities to harness fungi to combat these threats. 

ABSTRACT Climate change is the most serious challenge facing humanity. Microbes produce and consume three major greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—and some microbes cause human, animal, and plant diseases that can be exacerbated by climate change. Hence, microbial research is needed to help ameliorate the warming trajectory and cascading effects resulting from heat, drought, and severe storms. We present a brief summary of what is known about microbial responses to climate change in three major ecosystems: terrestrial, ocean, and urban. We also offer suggestions for new research directions to reduce microbial greenhouse gases and mitigate the pathogenic impacts of microbes. These include performing more controlled studies on the climate impact on microbial processes, system interdependencies, and responses to human interventions, using microbes and their carbon and nitrogen transformations for useful stable products, improving microbial process data for climate models, and taking the One Health approach to study microbes and climate change.