Fungus is getting a pretty bad rap in pop culture right now thanks to HBO’s hit zombie TV show The Last of Us, in which a fungal mutation spread through the global food supply leads to the collapse of civilization. But its critical role in the health of the planet’s ecosystems is well-known, especially as it applies to humanity’s food supply. Fungus can both protect and kill grains and plants, and the agribusiness industry has long tried to improve pathogen-destroying methods to keep food stores safe.
That’s the focus of a new paper published in the Nature journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering by researchers at the Shih Microfluidics Lab. They have developed a new method of extracting enzymes that degrade the cell walls of harmful micro-organisms such as other fungal pathogens, nematodes or other pathogens that can impact crop health. In effect, it acts as a biological fungicide and pesticide. The researchers also built a device that makes the technique portable, affordable and easy to use.
“While recent decades have seen improvements in growing strains of mammalian or bacterial cell culture, the techniques used are difficult to apply to fungus due to their specific morphology,” says Kenza Samlali, PhD 21, the paper’s primary author. “So there is a lot of interest in automated systems and microfluidics that can screen for micro-organisms.”
PhD student Chiara Leal Alves co-authored the paper with University of Toronto master’s student Mara Jezernik, Gr. Dip 20, and Steve Shih, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.