In the world of fungi, Aspergillus is an industrial superstar, playing a critical role in biofuel production, and plant and human health, among other applications. But the majority of its 350 species has yet to be sequenced. A team including JGI researchers sequenced the genomes of 10 novel Aspergillus species, more than doubling the number of Aspergillus species sequenced to date. Read more in the JGI News Release.

“Very little is known about basal fungi such as Mucoromycotina and genomics may be the most efficient way to understand their metabolism. Many members of this phyla show very high sensitivity to environmental signals, which when understood could be used for natural control of some of these metabolic processes.”

In Current Biology, an international consortium led by DOE JGI researchers sequenced and annotated Mucoromycotina genomes, specifically those of Phycomyces blakesleeanus and its relative Mucor circinelloides. Sensory perception lies at the heart of adaptation to changing conditions, and helps fungi to improve growth and recycle organic waste, and to know when and how to infect a plant or animal host. These new results shed light on the evolution of sensory perception in fungi. Read more about this on the DOE JGI website.