Black Fungi Research: Out-of-This-World Implications

Black fungi are an ecological group of melanized specialized in extremotolerance and assumed to be among the most stress-resistant eukaryotes on Earth. Multi-omics studies have provided significant evidence that they a peculiar response stress differs considerably from common mesophilic hyphomycetes. Survival strategies displayed by these organisms situated them as attractive models for astrobiology and, general, directed towards definition actual limits life. Moreover, ascertained aptitude black degradation hazardous volatile pollutants plastic breakdown suggests prospective application several species.