Aspergillus

Two side-by-side images. On the left, a petri dish containing a fluffy white fungal colony with several circular growth patterns, representing a laboratory culture of the fungus Aspergillus. On the right, a close-up microscopic image showing the detailed structure of an Aspergillus spore head, with a dense cluster of greenish spores radiating from a central point, displaying the intricate texture and morphology of the fungal spores.

Researchers Discover Wide Variation in Virulence of Non-Pathogenic Fungi

Sep. 11, 2024—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator A new study led by research assistant professor David Rinker sheds light on how fungal pathogenicity might evolve. The article, “Strain heterogeneity in a non-pathogenic Aspergillus fungus highlights factors associated with virulence,” was published in the journal Communications Biology in September 2024. According to Rinker, “different isolates or...

Vanderbilt undergraduate compares nuclear and mitochondrial genomic evolution of the fungi Aspergillus section Flavi

Jan. 23, 2023—By Kelly Tingle, Evolutionary Studies communications assistant Former Vanderbilt University undergraduate student Miya Hugaboom provides insight into fungal mitochondrial genomic evolution in a paper she published recently as lead author, along with Biological Sciences graduate student Annie Hatmaker and Professor Antonis Rokas. The study focused on the mitochondrial genomes of 20 different Aspergillus species, a...