Fungi - Science topic

Isabel Leon Sanchez PS: sporulation intensity is highly important feature for pathogen development in field. Some strains of plant pathogenic fungi may have large difference in sporulation due to small genetic differences or virus infection, like described by Cai, G., Fry, W.E. and Hillman, B.I., 2019. PiRV-2 stimulates sporulation in Phytophthora infestans. Virus research, 271, p.197674.

Hey Sofiyat, I would take a step wise approach: first isolation, second lipase activity confirmation. I’ll focus on isolation. If you have any evidence the fungi grow through the sample, then you could try break open the piece of butter or eventually cut a layer off with a sterile tool. Then you would take a small chunk of core butter and dilute it, probably with Tween80. Make serial dilutions (~3) and plate 100 uL of each in different media. Spread with a digralski loop or sterile beads. This should help isolating strains with different abundance in the original sample. I would expect these strains to grow very slow.

What would be the best methods/techniques to figure out the bacteria:fungi ratio from citrus orchards soil.

Lilian Rizkie I know two sources of antibodies for beauvericin:

I add 50mg/L of Nystatin as a methanol solution (or rather suspension). The 50mg does not dissolve completely in 1mL of methanol but the suspension is homogenic so if you add this to warm agar (with stirring) then you get a somewhat even dispersal. Hope that helps...

Using topical cream as the source of antibiotic for the disk diffusion method may not be the most reliable or standard approach. The disk diffusion method typically requires the use of standardized antibiotic disks containing specific concentrations of antibiotics. These disks are manufactured under controlled conditions to ensure accuracy and reproducibility of results.

Topical creams may contain various other ingredients besides the active antibiotic compound, which could interfere with the diffusion of the antibiotic into the agar medium or affect the results of the test. Additionally, the concentration of the antibiotic in a topical cream may not be suitable for the disk diffusion method.

If you need to perform the disk diffusion method, it's best to use commercially available antibiotic disks that are specifically designed for this purpose and have been validated for accuracy and reliability. If you're looking to test the efficacy of a topical cream, it's more appropriate to use other methods such as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing.

It is extremely difficult to completely eliminate bacteria from contaminated cells, and the contamination can return. Many labs have HCT116 cells. Therefore, if your cells are not invaluable (transfected for example), the best thing to do is to throw away your culture and request the cell line from a nearby lab.

Have you quantified your DNA yields/checked for DNA quality?

Here are review and list of DBs:

-

- https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/List_of_Natural_Products_databases/11926047/1

- https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov

DBs:

- COCONUT - https://jcheminf.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13321-020-00478-9

- PhytoHub - https://phytohub.eu

- PSC-db - http://pscdb.appsbio.utalca.cl/viewSearch/index.php + https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7924326/

- IMPPAT - https://cb.imsc.res.in/imppat/

- NPBS - https://academic.oup.com/database/article/doi/10.1093/database/baaa102/6031002

- NPACT - http://crdd.osdd.net/raghava/npact/

- CancerHSP - https://old.tcmsp-e.com/CancerHSP.php

Muchas gracias por su respuesta

The injection molding process is a manufacturing technique used to produce plastic parts in large volumes with high precision. The working principle of the injection molding process involves several steps:

The injection molding process offers several advantages, including high production efficiency, repeatability, and the ability to produce complex geometries with tight tolerances. However, it also requires significant upfront investment in tooling and equipment and may not be suitable for low-volume production or prototypes.

In the context of comparing the tensile properties of ABS produced by injection molding with those produced by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), understanding the principles of each process is essential. Injection molding typically results in parts with higher mechanical properties and surface finish compared to FDM, due to the differences in processing conditions and material behavior. FDM involves layer-by-layer deposition of thermoplastic filament, which can lead to anisotropic properties and lower mechanical performance compared to injection-molded parts. Therefore, a comprehensive review of literature on the principles and processing parameters of each method would provide valuable insights into the differences in tensile properties observed between the two manufacturing processes.

Prescribing different costly ophthalmic antibiotics for conjunctivitis instead of a povidone iodine preparation depends on various factors, including the nature of the infection, patient factors, and healthcare provider preferences. Here are some potential advantages of using ophthalmic antibiotics over povidone iodine for treating .conjunctivitis,Targeted Antibiotic Therapy,Rapid Symptom Relief, Prevention of Complications, Reduced Risk of Allergic Reactions, Preservation of Normal Flora, Convenience and Ease of Use, Guidelines and Clinical Practice, While ophthalmic antibiotics may be more costly than povidone iodine preparations, their targeted antimicrobial activity, rapid symptom relief, and potential to prevent complications justify their use in certain cases of bacterial conjunctivitis.

Hello again,

Have you solved your problem?

Although delayed answer, a very good extraction kit for soils (and not only) is PowerSoil DNeasy kit. As far as I have tested, decreases inhibitors and you can gain enough DNA of good quality.

I don't know of any Gymnosporangium species that has both ecial and telial stages in Pyrus.

Different fungicidal compounds act only on certain groups of fungi. When I was doing bacterial isolation from soil samples I used nystatin + cycloheximide. Even then I would get the odd fungus that was resistant to both. Nipagin is also good for stopping fungal growth but it also inhibits bacteria as well. I advise checking your plates 24h after setting them up and using a scalpel to remove any fungi that are persisting.

Setya Dwi Rahmawati If you adjust the contrast and brightness of the image, you might notice some ring-like structures in the dark green areas, which are typical of virus infections.

Thanks Amina

Dear Ignacio and David

Thank you so much for introducing those wonderful tools. I tried those and some other tools also and got comparable estimates.

Regards

Chandima

To measure the size of your fungal discs before inoculation, you can use a ruler or caliper to measure the diameter of the discs. Place the disc on a flat surface and use the measuring tool to determine the size in millimeters or inches. Make sure to measure the widest part of the disc to get an accurate measurement. If you have multiple discs, you can take the average diameter to ensure consistency in your inoculation. This will help you ensure that you are inoculating the same amount of fungal material in each Potato dextrose broth sample.

At high curing temperatures, the rate of autogenous shrinkage typically increases depending on the water-to-cement ratio (w/cm), although later-age autogenous shrinkage tends to decrease. Consequently, higher temperatures accelerate shrinkage and the development of self-induced stresses, but should not result in greater shrinkage compared to specimens subjected to standard room conditions over the observed period. Ultimately, both conditions are expected to exhibit similar levels of shrinkage

Depends on the composition of the media and the type of contamination. The increasing pH is probably due to amino acid catabolism releasing ammonia.

The specific characteristics of soil microorganisms in ***

By using this web address, you will reach Google Scholar.

Then, type in pathogenic fungi + atlas cedar trees.

You will have access to a list of worthy scientific articles dealing with your topic of interest.

Fungi and soil are intrinsically linked.

If we assume our soil starts as naked rock, the pores of it and its surface will slowly become colonized by lichens and black yeasts, which are highly resistant to desiccation and radiation. Together with some cyanobacteria, green algae, mosses, and other non-photosynthetic organisms, this naked rock will soon form what is commonly known as a biofilm. All of this will slowly degrade the bedrock and accumulate organic matter, producing a true (albeit very fragile and thin) soil layer. From this you can start observing growth of smaller plants, whose roots can accelerate rock meteorization, contribute with necromass to the soil layer once they died and help cycle water. In those roots, fungi will be helping extracting minerals and water from the substrate as mycorrhizal associates, and it'll be fungi the main decomposers of dead plant debris once these plants die. As the soil layer keeps accumulating, fungal hyphae will constitute a considerable fraction of the organic matter content and will help alongside plant roots to maintain soil structure. Fungal hyphae not only allow plants to reach new resources, but bacteria and othermicrobes as well.

The way this evolution will proceed depends on the climatic conditions, the geological properties of the bedrock, the type of vegetation in that particular area and many other minor details like the shape of the terrain or the communities of invertebrates. Fungi interact with all biological components of that system as symbionts, pathogens, food source, competitors and even predators.

Hope that helps!

ThanksNina

Im in hospital again..result of a TURP..trying to get e

services coordinated Cheers

PW

Source: https://labincubators.net/blogs/blog/preventing-contamination-in-mammalian-cell-culture

The ,most resistant likely would be the black fungi.

It can be difficult to treat green mould contamination in mushroom substrate. Try removing problematic regions, enhance fresh air exchange, and maintain proper humidity. Think about incorporating baking soda or hydrogen peroxide into the substrate. Better sterilisation procedures may need to be followed if contamination continues, necessitating discarding and starting over with fresh substrate.

Try getting a culture so you can grow it in isolation and get some better images. You'll probably need to try several dilutions for plating to get the fungus by itself and not with any bacteria.

Optimize Dipping Parameters: Adjusting the withdrawal speed and angle during the dipping process can help to achieve uniform thickness on curved surfaces. It is important to carefully control the withdrawal speed to ensure that the coating material adheres evenly to the curved surface.

McIlvanea

do you wish to obtain/separate the entire mycelial mass?

Basic Plant Pathology Methods, Edition 2, Dhingra & Sinclair, is the best book for practical Plant Pathology

Hola Alejandra, quisimos incorporar un trabajo recientemente publicado en la revista Quebracho, en ResearchGate y no está. Pero creo que Carla Salto que es la segunda autora lo pudo incorporar pero sale el trabajo pero no a donde está publicado. Me parece que tendríamos que tener una opción de que si una revista no se encuentra poder generar nosotros la opción de incorporarla.

What information? What science? Is there is is there not a significant level of acetaldehyde in PET packaging?

Could you please isolate and culture the organism on a growth medium so as to know the type of organism it is?

@Dora These pictures do not show the features of any organism in particular. They could be anything. Molecular detection using PCR and DNA Sequences will help.

Muralishwara Kakunje check organic chemicals to reduce lignin content.

The American Phytopathological Society has a series of disease compendiums which are very useful first steps in identification.

Extracting fungal toxins or getting a stock of fungal toxin is a huge task. Metabolites of fungi that have anticancer properties have not been reported till date. Since fungal toxins damage the body cells therefore, experiment on their anticancer properties can only be carried out under a highly fastidious controlled system. However, studies on the cytotoxic effect of fungal toxins have been reported.

What do you propose to extract?

I did not provide an answer. I question the phenomenon you describe. Why do you think there is any effect of mycoplasma on bacterial or fungal contamination?

Some practice it. It serves no real purpose. Aseptic technique should prevent contamination, and a pure culture should not show differences between colonies.

There is a number of non-selective media that supports the growth of both fungi and bacteria: Nutrient Agar, Plate Count Agar, Tryptic Soya Agar, R2A Agar.

I have a similar problem. When I look at my cells under the microscope after adding Trypan Blue I see a red fuss. My cells have 100% viability, yet they have stopped dividing. I am not sure if it is because of the media. Please let me know what did work for you. Here is a picture of my contamination.

Depending on your bioreactor, biomass levels between about 4 and 8 g/L are probably okay for chemostat cultures with a filamentous fungus. If the biomass concentration is too low you are likely to have problems obtaining a steady state because of biomass attachment to surfaces and possibly also some pellet formation (depending on the species). If the biomass concentration is too high you are likely to have problems with providing sufficient aeration and uniform mixing. Dense biomass can also result in more autolysis though I don't know whether that has been investigated scientifically. Our work with Mucor in chemostats was not published, but there are publications for chemostats with Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium from the APJ Trinci group, Trichoderma from VTT group, Aspergillus and Penicillium from other groups... The medium composition can affect the success of achieving good steady states. The choice of limiting substrate can affect how much hyphae adhere to surfaces and can affect the steady state. As hinted above, pH will impact the morphology and because of that the steady state...

Hello Mustafa, hope you are well. Based on your pictures could be from the genera Aspergillus. Difficult to determine the species from just a picture. Live you an Aspergillus key link (https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=55282) for you to use for species determination. Good luck, Cheers

Ignacio

Kouadri Mohamed El Amine Assessing the impact of mycorrhizal fungi on nutrient cycling and soil health parameters involves measuring various indicators. Here are some steps to conduct this assessment:

1. Soil organic matter content: Measure the soil organic matter content in areas where mycorrhizal fungi have been applied compared to control areas. This can be done through laboratory analysis using methods such as loss on ignition or Walkley-Black titration.

2. Nutrient availability: Assess the availability of key nutrients in the soil, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This can be done using soil testing kits or by sending soil samples to a laboratory for analysis. Compare nutrient availability in areas where mycorrhizal fungi have been applied with control areas.

3. Microbial activity: Evaluate the microbial activity in the soil, particularly focusing on the mycorrhizal fungi population. This can be done using methods like phospholipid fatty acid analysis or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify the abundance and diversity of mycorrhizal fungi.

4. Enzyme activity: Measure the activity of soil enzymes involved in nutrient cycling processes, such as phosphatase, urease, and nitrogenase. Higher enzyme activity suggests increased nutrient availability and cycling, which can be attributed to the presence of mycorrhizal fungi.

5. Soil aggregation and structure: Assess the impact of mycorrhizal fungi on soil aggregation and structure. This can be done visually by observing soil structure, or by using techniques like wet sieving and measurement of aggregate stability.

6. Nutrient uptake by plants: Evaluate the nutrient uptake by plants in areas where mycorrhizal fungi have been applied. This can be done through plant tissue analysis to determine the concentration of essential nutrients in plant tissues, comparing mycorrhizal-associated plants with non-mycorrhizal plants.

7. Plant growth and health: Monitor the overall growth and health of plants in areas where mycorrhizal fungi have been applied, including parameters such as shoot and root biomass, plant height, and disease resistance. Compare these with control areas to assess the impact of mycorrhizal fungi on plant performance.

8. Long-term monitoring: Conduct long-term monitoring to assess the sustainability of the observed effects. Measure soil health parameters and nutrient cycling indicators over multiple growing seasons to evaluate the persistence of mycorrhizal fungi benefits.

Kouadri Mohamed El Amine indeed, it seems rust spores and Alnus is a tree growing on the riverbanks of the river where this orange scum layer developed! It seems this rust spore concentration on water is a rare phenomenon. Many thanks for the suggestion and potentially identification!

cheers,

Jeroen

Contamination. Could be bacterial fungal or both.

Think the term "biomass" is inappropriate. Mass per se speaks to quantity of matter by weight.

Based on the colony morphology, the plate has two or more fungi.

1. Scrap all the fungi grown on the medium and do the serial dilution again on the primary medium with an antibiotic (to kill bacteria) until you get a single colony.

2. Identify the fungus up to species level by ITS sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

Fungi's main role in ecosystems is decomposition leading to recycling of nutrients. Also, many plants are dependent on fungi symbionts aiding roots in absorbing nutrients and water from the soil, and leading to greater productivity. Decomposers wood and litter decay fungi recycle carbon, minerals, and nutrients for use by other organisms, and contribute to the soil matrix physical properties. Decomposers [Bacteria and fungi] are the waste managers of any ecosystem. They are the final link in a food web breaking down dead organic matter from producers and consumers and ultimately returning energy to the atmosphere in respiration and inorganic molecules back to the soil during decomposition. Fungi can also function as nutrient cyclers, pathogens, and mutualists that live in a beneficial association with plants and other organisms.” We typically think of fungi as decomposers, but they are cryptic and do many different things. Fungi can also be human pathogens.In these environments, fungi play a major role as decomposers and recyclers, making it possible for members of the other kingdoms to be supplied with nutrients and live. The food web would be incomplete without organisms that decompose organic matter. Fungi conjointly play a basic role in different physiological processes as well as mineral and water uptake, chemical change, stomatal movement, and biosynthesis of compounds termed biostimulants, auxins, lignan, and ethylene to enhance the flexibility of plants to ascertain and cope environmental stresses like drought. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent the most common symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants wherein, fungal partner promotes pollutant removal by providing higher surface area for absorption of pollutants through its hyphae and spores by mobilizing the pollutants and binding to the root. Fungi and bacteria are essential to many basic ecosystem processes. Some types of fungi and bacteria can break down fallen wood and litter returning nutrients to the soil. Other types can fix nitrogen in the soil and help plants get nutrients from the soil. Fungi are not able to ingest their food like animals do, nor can they manufacture their own food the way plants do. Instead, fungi feed by absorption of nutrients from the environment around them. They accomplish this by growing through and within the substrate on which they are feeding. Along with bacteria, fungi are important decomposers of hard to digest organic matter. They use nitrogen in the soil to decompose woody carbon rich residues low in nitrogen and convert the nutrients in the residues to forms that are more accessible for other organisms. Fungal and bacterial species are able to detect the plant host and initiate their colonization strategies in the rhizosphere by producing canonical plant growth-regulating substances such as auxins or cytokinins. Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms, coming under prokaryotic classification. It is the most ancient living being on earth with a simple cell structure. Fungi are unicellular organisms, coming under the classification of eukaryotic. Notably, they possess a complicated cell structure. Mycorrhizal fungi develop a symbiotic relationship with plants. The fungi take up space in the tissue of plant roots. In beneficial relationships, mycorrhizal fungi help plant roots absorb water and minerals, i.e., phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Bacteria play many roles in our ecosystem. Bacteria are decomposers which break down dead material and recycle it. They also can be producers, making food from sunlight, such as photosynthetic bacteria, or chemicals, such as chemosynthetic bacteria.

Yes, it is possible to synthesize lead selenide (PbSe) nanoparticles using plant extracts through a green and environmentally friendly approach known as "biological synthesis" or "biogenic synthesis." This method utilizes plant extracts as reducing agents to reduce metal salts into nanoparticles. Here is a simplified overview of the process:

Benefits of this green synthesis approach include reduced toxicity compared to traditional chemical synthesis methods and the potential for tuning the size and properties of the nanoparticles by adjusting the reaction conditions and plant extract composition.

Go to the Rodale Institute website Douds and the collaborators have formulated the method for on farm mycorrhizae production.

The on farm propagation gives an adaptive mixture of species with ability to be effective under your conditions.

Yes, you can use Potato broth as well as Czapek's Dox agar media or PDA media for culturing Trichoderma sp.

Fungal spores are not inactivated by 70% ethanol. You need to use bleach or other strong disinfectant.

Could be a Candida species of yeast, although the photo is rather poor.

thank you Robert Adolf Brinzer for your beautiful recommendation. i will try it out in my experiment.

appreciate

Acetone is an antimicrobial.

Don't know about THF (assume Tetrahydrofuran). Suppose you could test it yourself.

Thank you

we typically harvest the spores and suspend them in YPD broth with 50% glycerol. we store them at -80.

The technique works for most human fungal pathogens, both molds and yeast.

When plants and animals die, they become food for decomposers like bacteria, fungi and earthworms. Decomposers or saprotrophs recycle dead plants and animals into chemical nutrients like carbon and nitrogen that are released back into the soil, air and water. Decomposers (fungi, bacteria, invertebrates such as worms and insects) have the ability to break down dead organisms into smaller particles and create new compounds. We use decomposers to restore the natural nutrient cycle through controlled composting. Bacteria and fungi are called decomposer because they break down the dead and decaying organic matter into a simpler substance. It provides the nutrients back to the soil. Bacteria and Fungi are the organisms involved in the decomposition process. They secrete enzymes that help in the digestion of dead organic matter. Hence, the decomposition of dead remains of plants and animals is done by both fungi and bacteria. Decomposers feed on dead plants and animal tissues. They convert them into humus. When plants and animals die, they become food for decomposers like bacteria, fungi and earthworms. Decomposers or saprotrophs recycle dead plants and animals into chemical nutrients like carbon and nitrogen that are released back into the soil, air and water. Bacteria and fungi are called decomposers because bacteria and fungi break down the dead and decaying organic matter into simpler substances and provide the nutrients back to the soil. Advantages of decomposers to the environment they act as natural scavengers and they help in recycling of nutrients. Decomposers in ecosystems act as environmental cleaners by decaying dead plants and animals. They aid in the recycling of nutrients. They make room for a new life in the biosphere by decaying the dead. Bacteria and fungi are said decomposers because they break down the dead and decaying organic matter into simpler substances such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars, and mineral salts and provide the nutrients back to the soil. Decomposition is the first stage in the recycling of nutrients that have been used by an organism to build its body. It is the process whereby the dead tissues break down and are converted into simpler organic forms. These are the food source for many of the species at the base of ecosystems. Together with bacteria, fungi are responsible for breaking down organic matter and releasing carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus into the soil and the atmosphere. Bacteria and fungi are called decomposers because they break down the dead and decaying organic matter into simpler substances such as carbon dioxide, water, simple sugars, and mineral salts and provide the nutrients back to the soil.

Need to know the magnification. Need better images.

Could you kindly pinpoint the contaminant bacteria?

Yes - candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiiensis in "suitability" testing - but use the strains and methods specific in USP's 61/62. Do not use ISO 16140 - that is for foods.

Certainly! When it comes to digital microscopes for microbiology, there are several options available. Here are a few recommendations that are commonly used for observing molds:

1. Celestron 44341 LCD Digital Microscope: This microscope features a built-in LCD screen and a 2-megapixel camera. It provides magnifications of up to 200x and has built-in LED illumination. It's portable and easy to use, making it suitable for mold observation.

2. Dino-Lite AM4113T Digital Microscope: This microscope offers a higher resolution with a 1.3-megapixel camera and magnifications up to 200x. It also includes built-in LED lights for illumination. The Dino-Lite series is well-regarded for its quality and versatility.

3. OMAX 40X-2000X Digital Binocular Microscope: If you're looking for higher magnifications, this binocular microscope from OMAX is a good option. It comes with a built-in 1.3-megapixel camera and includes multiple objectives for magnifications ranging from 40x to 2000x. It also has a mechanical stage for precise specimen positioning.

4. Levenhuk DTX 500 Mobi Digital Microscope: This portable microscope offers magnifications of up to 500x and includes a 1.3-megapixel camera. It has eight built-in LED lights for illumination and can be connected to a computer or smartphone for image capture and analysis.

Remember to consider your specific requirements, such as budget, desired magnification range, portability, and connectivity options, when choosing a digital microscope for your microbiology needs. It's also a good idea to read customer reviews and compare features before making a purchase to ensure it meets your expectations.

What is mag? Suggest you culture.

I agree with Amir Afzal that decomposers are the fungi and bacteria, which are the saprophytes. They feed on the decaying organic matter and convert this matter into nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Biotic factors include plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. Each of these organisms directly or indirectly affects each of the other organisms in an ecosystem through various types of interactions. These biotic factors and interactions are condensed into three groups: producers, consumers, and decomposers. Soil is composed of both biotic living and once-living things, like plants and insects and abiotic materials nonliving factors, like minerals, water, and air. Soil contains air, water, and minerals as well as plant and animal matter, both living and dead. Bacteria and Fungi are considered as decomposers. They help in decomposition of the organic matter. They digest the dead tissues by the help of enzymes and return back the nutrients to the soil. Therefore, decomposers help in keeping the environment clean. Decomposers are the waste managers of any ecosystem. They are the final link in a food web breaking down dead organic matter from producers and consumers and ultimately returning energy to the atmosphere in respiration and inorganic molecules back to the soil during decomposition. Biotic Factors are live elements of the ecosystem like plants, animals, and microbes that are part of an ecosystem. Soil formation: Soil is created from bedrocks by weathering and erosive forces of nature. These soil components fall into two categories. In the first category are biotic factors all the living and once-living things in soil, such as plants and insects. The second category consists of abiotic factors, which include all nonliving things as minerals, water, and air. Certain lichens and microbes secrete substances which also lead to weathering of rock and formation of soil. Human activities such as mining, digging also result in weathering and formation of soil. Abiotic factors mean physical factors such as temperature, wind and water.

"..ellipsoid to cylindrical, 14-25(-30) × (5-)6-9(-10) µm, 0-2(-3)-septate."

it means that the most frequent values are between 14 and 25 µm, but they can go up to 30 µm; this value in parentheses indicates a feature that is present for the taxon but is rare.

For taxonomists it is important to know the size range, even the less frequent values are important to compare for example if there is any environmental or host influence. Some people choose not to use this parenthesis in the taxon description, but note these 'oddities' in the discussion section.

Dr Lynda Michelle Hanlon thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Storage on sterile grain has been a long-term method for Rhizoctonia solani. See for example Webb et al. 2011. Long term preservation of a collection of Rhizoctonia solani using cryogenic storage. Annals of Applied Biology. 158:297-304. This resource mentions several of the other, similar works using storage on sterile grain. It also references some of the other storage methods, but the colonized sterile grain has been the most reliable we have tried. We particularly like barley as the grain.

Fungi are the primary decomposers in soils and secrete various enzymes, such as cellulases, laccases, and xylanases that break down lignocelluloses into simple sugars. Some fungi are decomposers which mean that they break down plant and animal debris, thus cycling nutrient and increasing their availability in the soil. They can also propel nitrogen fixation and phosphorus mobilization, two of the main nutrients required for plant development and productivity. Some fungi help trees and other plants to grow. Because the fine threads that make fungal mycelium can spread over long distances, fungi can capture water and nutrients from far away and bring them back along the fine threads and close to plant roots. Release of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus in the soil. Production of different enzymes in soil and enhancement of plant growth prevent plants from different pathogens. All fungi are heterotrophic, which means that they get the energy they need to live from other organisms. Like animals, fungi extract the energy stored in the bonds of organic compounds such as sugar and protein from living or dead organisms. Many of these compounds can also be recycled for further use. Instead, fungi feed by absorption of nutrients from the environment around them. They accomplish this by growing through and within the substrate on which they are feeding. Numerous hyphae network through the wood, cheese, soil, or flesh from which they are growing. Saprotrophic fungi secrete digestive enzymes onto the organic matter they are going to use for nutrients. These enzymes break down the energy source. The fungi can then absorb nutrients through the hyphae walls. Fungi absorb the liquid nutrients using various methods of cell transport. To access these nutrients, plants are dependent on the growth of soil microbes such as bacteria and fungi, which possess the metabolic machinery to depolymerize and mineralize organic forms of N, P, and S. Broadly speaking, bacteria and fungi are crucial to everything from the breakdown of organic matter in soil to efficient water use, as well as pest and disease control. Perhaps most importantly, they help regulate nutrient efficiency in the place where plant roots meet the soil.