Doctoral students Rosemary Eufemio and Kaden Shaw recently contributed to an international research project that identified fungal proteins capable of triggering ice formation at relatively warm subzero temperatures. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, help reveal how certain fungi can catalyze ice formation in clouds—a discovery that could lead to safer approaches to cloud seeding, improved frozen food production, advances in cryopreservation, and better climate modeling.
Their work supported a collaborative effort led by researchers including Boris A. Vinatzer and Xiaofeng Wang, who identified the fungal gene responsible for producing the ice-nucleating protein. The study also uncovered evidence that the gene may have originated in bacteria and was transferred to fungi through horizontal gene transfer hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago.
This research highlights how studying the natural capabilities of fungi may inspire new technologies—from safer weather modification strategies to innovative applications in food science and biotechnology. We congratulate Rosemary and Kaden on their contributions to this exciting discovery.
You can read the full article here:
https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2811371
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