This is a Christmas tree made from fungus.

The fungal Xmas tree is composed of, from the top: Talaromyces stipitatus; Tree: Aspergillus nidulans; Ornaments: Penicillium marneffei; Trunk: Aspergillus terreus.

Why? Because nothing says Christmas like Aspergillus terreus!

Oh, and don't forget the snowman—

Via the J. Craig Venter blog.

Guess what it is!

Hey, what do you think this is?

Howzabout this?

Answer after the break!

Oh, you clever, clever fungus.

Imagine the smell of barf. Now add to it the smell of poop and a rotting squirrel. Got it? Multiply that malodorous scent by two and you’ll know what the basket stinkhorn smells like!

This fungus can be found at the base of trees in Europe. Like other fungi, the way the basket stinkhorn doesn’t use seeds to reproduce. It uses spores (like the dots on the bottom of a fern’s frond). And to spread its spores, stinkhorns need flies.

You see, flies are drawn to things like barf, poop, and rotting squirrels. So the flies smell the stinkhorn and land on it, looking for a snack. In fact, the flies crawl all over the stinkhorn. This may be why the stinkhorn grows in that weird mesh-like pattern; it makes it easy for bugs to get all up and over it.

Anyway, the fly will eventually give up and off in disgust. Of course, the fly is coated with spores by then, and these will help spread the stinkhorn! Well-played, basket stinkhorn, well-played. (Photo by spacepleb.)

Your dishwasher is trying to destroy you!

Fun Fact: Your dishwasher is a breeding ground for killer fungus.

This sort of makes sense. The dishwasher is warm and wet. Fungus LOVES that! Add in food scraps for nutrition, and fungus is in business. And don’t think that soap or hot water kills fungus. It doesn’t!

In case your issue of Fungal Biology hasn’t come in the mail yet, it has an article about how researchers took samples from over 150 dishwashers in 18 countries. Over half had Exophiala, which is a slimy, black fungus!

But it’s not like Exophiala is dangerous, right? Wait, what’s this: “It may sometimes cause fatal infections in healthy people.” What? And here I thought all that black slime in the dishwasher was good for me!

I'll never wash another dish again.

Top photo from here.

The Belly Button: A wildlife refuge for germs!

This is not a joke: There’s a group known as the Belly Button Biodiversity Project. 

It is interested in the wildlife living in your bellybutton.

What, you didn’t KNOW there were creatures in your belly button? It’s the perfect hangout for them! Here’s why:

1.) Odds are you don’t wash your belly button with soap. (Most people don’t.)

2.) If you have an innie, your belly button is a protected area . . . sort of like a wildlife refuge for germs.

3.) Unlike your nose or underarms, the belly button doesn’t produce any wacky liquids or mucus. So germs can live their lives without interference!

So what IS in your belly button? Yellow bacteria, stinky molds and fungi, and gooey yeasts! But here, let’s have the Belly Button Biodiversity Project explain:

Ever wondered what microorganisms live on you? You are alive, but just how alive? How many living organisms are on a square centimeter of your skin? Very little is known about the life that breathes all over us. Each person’s microbial jungle is rich, colorful, and dynamic. Your navel may well be one of the last biological frontiers. It is time then, to explore! 

Sampling for Belly Button Bacteria: We imagine germs as bad, and yet most are not. Most are either good or simply present, whether in-between your toes or up your nose. The diversity on our bodies is fascinating and we want to share the joy of discovering it. You give us a sample, we will grow and identify the bacteria, and you get the results. Meet your personal ecosystem, in color! 

Why begin with the belly button? Because no one volunteers when we ask for armpit samples. Because our belly buttons are relatively isolated, a place where microbes are safe. Because everybody has one, it’s what once connected us to our past. Yet, we barely notice it in our daily lives, to the point that few people actually wash theirs. Which is great for the bacteria! They are well protected, and provide a refuge of our wild nature. The first step is to simply see who is there, the way the first explorers, upon arriving at new continents, simply wrote home to describe what they found.

Wow. Thanks to Body Odd for the tip! (Photo of baby from Boy27wonder.)

Uh... why is that fungus bleeding?

Did you know there's a really gross mushroom-creature known as the Bleeding Tooth Fungus (Hydnellum peckii)? It has other fun names too, like the Devil’s tooth and … strawberries and cream? Oh-kay.

The fungus's "blood" comes from a red juice that bleeds out on younger mushroom's. Hey, maybe that part tastes like strawberries! Oh, rats. According to Wikipedia, this fungus is inedible! But what would happen if someone ate the Bleeding Tooth Fungus anyway? Would their teeth start bleeding? Only one way to find out—

Nope, my teeth are fine. (But I sure hope that’s strawberry jam coming out of my ears!)

Prevent Violence: Wash Your Feet!

I just read a news story about a woman who stabbed a man. Why did she stab him? Because he said her feet stank!

This tragedy could have been prevented with good foot care. Look, EVERYBODY’S feet stink! That’s because each foot has hundreds of thousands of sweat glands. Each of your feet sweats out more than a quarter-cup of sweat each day! That means those feet are MOIST. And if you’re wearing socks, fungus is going to grow there…and if fungus is growing on your feet, they will reek!

So why aren’t all of us stabbing each other because of the horrible smell? First, we prevent toxic sock syndrome by changing our socks…daily! Also, washing our feet helps, as does NOT wearing socks at night. This gives our tootsies a chance to air out— so that our fingers don’t start itching for a knife handle!

This Brain Will Kill You

This fungi looks like a brain! That’s why it’s known as the “brain mushroom” (aka, Gyromitra esculenta).

But don’t ever eat any mushroom that looks like this… because the brain mushroom is really poisonous. Just like human brains!

Okay okay, human brains aren’t poisonous. But I still think I should discourage you from eating them!

Picture from Scientific American.