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As climate change brings more wildfires to the western United States, a rare fungal infection has also been on the rise. Valley fever is up more than sixfold in Arizona and California from 1998 to 2018, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Valley fever causes coughs, fevers and chest pain and can be deadly. The culprit fungi, members of the genus
Coccidioides, thrive in soils in California and the desert Southwest. Firefighters are especially vulnerable to the disease. Wildfires appear to stir up and send the soil-loving fungi into the air, where they can enter people’s lungs.
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Intercontinental Study Sheds Light on Microbial Life of Sourdough
In a study of 500 sourdough starters spanning four continents, scientists have garnered new insights into the environmental factors that contribute to each sourdough starter’s microbial ecosystem, and how different types of microbes influence both a sourdough’s aroma and how quickly the sourdough rises. The results may surprise sourdough enthusiasts.
“We didn’t just look at which microbes were growing in each starter,” says Erin McKenney, co-author of the paper and an assistant professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University. “We looked at what those microbes are doing, and how those microbes coexist with each other.”
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IMAGE: This image shows sourdough starter in a mason jar. In a recent study of 500 sourdough starters, spanning four continents, scientists garnered new insights into the environmental factors that contribute. view more
Credit: Lauren Nichols
In a study of 500 sourdough starters spanning four continents, scientists have garnered new insights into the environmental factors that contribute to each sourdough starter s microbial ecosystem, and how different types of microbes influence both a sourdough s aroma and how quickly the sourdough rises. The results may surprise sourdough enthusiasts. We didn t just look at which microbes were growing in each starter, says Erin McKenney, co-author of the paper and an assistant professor of applied ecology at North Carolina State University. We looked at what those microbes are doing, and how those microbes coexist with each other.