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Video showing bacteria spreading along a larger fungal network
A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa project to explore how bacteria and fungi interact that could shed light on health, environmental and even household issues has been awarded a $591,606 federal grant.
The project, "Bacterial dispersal and nutrient transport along fungal highways," looks at how bacteria move with the help of fungi. It will be led by UH Mānoa Associate Professors Daisuke Takagi from the Department of Mathematics in the College of Natural Sciences and Nhu Nguyen from the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.
While fungi are often thought of as molds or mushrooms, they also create tiny thread-like structures called hyphae that form networks across every exposed surface. These fungal "highways" can help bacteria spread and transport substances, including nutrients or harmful compounds, into new environments. By building mathematical models and testing them in controlled experiments, the UH team aims to better understand how this partnership works and how it affects larger systems.
Photo showing bacteria spreading along a larger fungal network
"This project lets us combine math and biology to uncover the hidden rules of how bacteria spread, which could impact everything from health to the environment," Takagi said.
Nguyen added, "This grant allows us to explore how tiny interactions between microbes can shape bigger systems like soils, crops, indoor environments and natural ecosystems that people depend on every day."
The researchers will study how bacteria travel along fungal networks, how they respond to changes in their environment and how they may carry other molecules with them. The findings could help explain how bacteria spread on human skin, across our food, as well as how they move through soil or buildings.
Collaborative research digs in
Photo showing bacteria spreading along a larger fungal network
In the long run, this knowledge could inform public health strategies, agriculture and environmental management. The award highlights UH Mānoa's growing role in advancing cross-disciplinary research that bridges biology and mathematics to address complex, real-world challenges.
"One of the best parts of doing research at UH is the collaboration---working across different fields is incredibly fun and rewarding," Takagi said. "Learning from one another often leads to discoveries we couldn't make alone."
The three-year grant is jointly supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation through a program that funds projects at the intersection of biology and mathematics.
Photo showing bacteria spreading along a larger fungal network