Engineering topics

Stanley, Claire E. (ORCID:000000020825625X)

Publications and source records attributed to Stanley, Claire E. (ORCID:000000020825625X).

3 records

DOE OSTI2025

Electrical signaling in fungi: past and present challenges

Abstract Electrical signaling is a fundamental mechanism for integrating environmental stimuli and coordinating responses in living organisms. While extensively studied in animals and plants, the role of electrical signaling in fungi remains a largely underexplored field. Early studies suggested that filamentous fungi generate action potential-like signals and electrical currents at hyphal tips, yet their function in intracellular communication remained unclear. Renewed interest in fungal electrical activity has fueled developments such as the hypothesis that mycorrhizal networks facilitate electrical communication between plants and the emerging field of fungal-based electronic materials. Given their continuous plasma membrane, specialized septal pores, and insulating cell wall structures, filamentous fungi possess architectural features that could support electrical signaling over long distances. However, studying electrical phenomena in fungal networks presents unique challenges due to the microscopic dimensions of hyphae, the structural complexity of highly modular mycelial networks, and the limitations of traditional electrophysiological methods. This review synthesizes current evidence for electrical signaling in filamentous fungi, evaluates methodological approaches, and highlights experimental challenges. By addressing these challenges and identifying best practices, we aim to advance research in this field and provide a foundation for future studies exploring the role of electrical signaling in fungal biology.

Buffi, Matteo↗

DOE OSTI2023

Fungal drops: a novel approach for macro- and microscopic analyses of fungal mycelial growth

Abstract This study presents an inexpensive approach for the macro- and microscopic observation of fungal mycelial growth. The ‘fungal drops’ method allows to investigate the development of a mycelial network in filamentous microorganisms at the colony and hyphal scales. A heterogeneous environment is created by depositing 15–20 µl drops on a hydrophobic surface at a fixed distance. This system is akin to a two-dimensional (2D) soil-like structure in which aqueous-pockets are intermixed with air-filled pores. The fungus (spores or mycelia) is inoculated into one of the drops, from which hyphal growth and exploration take place. Hyphal structures are assessed at different scales using stereoscopic and microscopic imaging. The former allows to evaluate the local response of regions within the colony (modular behaviour), while the latter can be used for fractal dimension analyses to describe the hyphal network architecture. The method was tested with several species to underpin the transferability to multiple species. In addition, two sets of experiments were carried out to demonstrate its use in fungal biology. First, mycelial reorganization of Fusarium oxysporum was assessed as a response to patches containing different nutrient concentrations. Second, the effect of interactions with the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida on habitat colonization by the same fungus was assessed. This method appeared as fast and accessible, allowed for a high level of replication, and complements more complex experimental platforms. Coupled with image analysis, the fungal drops method provides new insights into the study of fungal modularity both macroscopically and at a single-hypha level.

Buffi, Matteo↗

DOE OSTI2022

Fungi-on-a-Chip: microfluidic platforms for single-cell studies on fungi

Abstract This review highlights new advances in the emerging field of ‘Fungi-on-a-Chip’ microfluidics for single-cell studies on fungi and discusses several future frontiers, where we envisage microfluidic technology development to be instrumental in aiding our understanding of fungal biology. Fungi, with their enormous diversity, bear essential roles both in nature and our everyday lives. They inhabit a range of ecosystems, such as soil, where they are involved in organic matter degradation and bioremediation processes. More recently, fungi have been recognized as key components of the microbiome in other eukaryotes, such as humans, where they play a fundamental role not only in human pathogenesis, but also likely as commensals. In the food sector, fungi are used either directly or as fermenting agents and are often key players in the biotechnological industry, where they are responsible for the production of both bulk chemicals and antibiotics. Although the macroscopic fruiting bodies are immediately recognizable by most observers, the structure, function, and interactions of fungi with other microbes at the microscopic scale still remain largely hidden. Herein, we shed light on new advances in the emerging field of Fungi-on-a-Chip microfluidic technologies for single-cell studies on fungi. We discuss the development and application of microfluidic tools in the fields of medicine and biotechnology, as well as in-depth biological studies having significance for ecology and general natural processes. Finally, a future perspective is provided, highlighting new frontiers in which microfluidic technology can benefit this field.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗