Sydney Glassman

These charcoal-eating fungi flourish after fires. Uncovering their genetic secrets could help rebuild burned ecosystems

tomwt — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:05:40 +0000

These charcoal-eating fungi flourish after fires. Uncovering their genetic secrets could help rebuild burned ecosystems tomwt Mon, 03/23/2026 - 15:05 More CNAS in the Media Kunjal Bastola | Smithsonian Magazine March 13, 2026

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE - When people think of fungi, most tend to picture mushrooms, the spore-bearing bodies of some fungi that are typically found growing in soil or on trees. However, the whole fungal kingdom is so much more than that: Our planet hosts an estimated 2.2 million to 3.8 million species of fungi, which are essential to life on Earth, acting as primary decomposers and nutrient recyclers.

Yeasts, for instance, act as rising agents for bread, and molds add flavors to certain smelly cheeses. Lichens—unique organisms created from a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and algae or cyanobacteria—are important indicators of environmental health. In vast networks beneath forest floors, mycorrhizal fungi interlace throughout the soil, forming symbiotic relationships with plants and even, some research has suggested, helping trees communicate.

And in the charred aftermath of a forest fire, some strange fungi pop up on soil and wood as bright patches of color—like pink or white crusts or little orange cups—for only a few ephemeral weeks.

Sydney Glassman, a microbial ecologist at the University of California, Riverside, who has been studying mycorrhizal fungi for more than a decade, stumbled upon this post-fire occurrence by accident. “Not once, but twice during my PhD, my plots burned down in catastrophic mega fires,” she says. “So I ended up having the situation where I had sampling pre- and post- a mega fire. … And what we found was that certain fungi are really increased in abundance after a fire.”

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Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology

Sydney Glassman

After a fire, they feast: Some fungi have learned to eat charcoal

tomwt — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 22:49:16 +0000

After a fire, they feast: Some fungi have learned to eat charcoal tomwt Fri, 02/20/2026 - 14:49 More CNAS in the Media Rodielon Putol | Earth.com February 20, 2026

EARTH.COM - After a wildfire tears through a landscape, the destruction looks absolute. Hillsides turn black, trees collapse into ash, wildlife scatters, and the soil itself seems lifeless. Then something unexpected happens. Within days or weeks, life creeps back. Not trees. Not deer. Fungi.

Some of these fungi were barely there before the fire. You couldn’t see them. You couldn’t easily detect them in the soil.

Yet after a blaze, they spread quickly across the burned ground. Scientists have long wondered how they manage to do it.

A new study from the University of California, Riverside (UCR), finally cracks that mystery. The answer, it turns out, is written in their genes.

Fungi survive and thrive after fires
For five years, researchers collected fungi from seven wildfire burn sites across California. They sequenced the fungi’s DNA and tested how some reacted when exposed to charcoal.

The corresponding author of the research is Sydney Glassman, UCR associate professor of microbiology and plant pathology.

“We knew certain fungi were heat resistant, that some could grow quickly in scars where competitors have been burned away, and that others could consume nutrients in charcoal,” she said. “Now we know the genetics behind these incredible abilities.”

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Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology

Sydney Glassman

Fire-loving fungi have learned to eat charcoal — a useful skill for dealing with industrial waste

tomwt — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 21:13:39 +0000

Fire-loving fungi have learned to eat charcoal — a useful skill for dealing with industrial waste tomwt Mon, 02/02/2026 - 13:13 More CNAS in the Media Jenny Lehmann | Discover Magazine January 30, 2026

DISCOVER MAGAZINE - Although wildfires are a natural and recurring phenomenon in certain regions, climate change is intensifying their impact. Each year, fires now swallow around four percent of Earth’s land surface, leaving behind vast, unrecognizable charred landscapes.

While most living organisms succumb to the flames, certain plants need regular fires to help bring life back to dead-looking environments. Alongside plants, some fungi have become fire lovers, too.

Now, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describing how inconspicuous fungi hidden in soil evolved to protect themselves from heat and how they acquired the genes that allow them to munch on charcoal.

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Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology

Sydney Glassman

Governor Newsom must make a priority of funding our UCs

ilseu — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 15:58:01 +0000

Governor Newsom must make a priority of funding our UCs ilseu Wed, 06/10/2020 - 08:58 More CNAS in the Media Sydney Glassman (UCR Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology) | The Press-Enterprise June 10, 2020

THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE - Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced a projected $54 billion budget deficit for California. As a result, the University of California faces budget cuts. But the UC system is already running in starvation mode from cuts made during the last recession.

Now is the time to invest in research and higher education. It is critical to retain UC funding so that we can continue to drive California’s economy.

UC Riverside (UCR), where I am currently a faculty member, is the largest employer in Riverside County. UC Irvine (UCI), where I was a postdoctoral researcher, is the second-largest employer in Orange County. The University of California is a key driver of upward mobility in California and the nation. UCR ranks No. 1 in social mobility, followed by UC Santa Cruz and UCI.

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Sydney Glassman

Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology