Meet the fungi under your feet
Meet the fungi under your feet
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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, or ‘AM’ fungi, are a special group of fungi that colonise the roots of plants. AM fungi provide plants with water and essential nutrients. They are found in soils across every continent of the world. Around 80% of all plant species depend on them.
The relationship between the fungus and plant is called a symbiosis, meaning "the living together of unlike organisms". In this case, both partners benefit. AM fungi grow web-like networks of thin threads called hyphae, which explore huge areas of soil. They collect mineral nutrients like phosphate and nitrate, and transport them to the plant. In return, the plant provides the fungus with fats and sugars that it has created through photosynthesis. All the exchange happens at a dedicated structured called an arbuscule.
Arbuscules develop inside plant root cells. They look like miniature trees, formed by repeated branching of the fungus. A membrane produced by the plant separates the fungus from the rest of the plant cell. Mineral nutrients, fats and sugars are exchanged across this membrane.
Many plants struggle to survive without the nutrients provided by AM fungi. This makes AM fungi fundamental to life on Earth. Despite this, not many people have heard of them. This is because they are microscopic, and they live underground and inside plant roots.
Dr Jen McGaley, a scientist at the University of Cambridge, is revealing the lives of AM fungi in unprecedented detail. Jen has developed a technique to watch the fungi and plants grow, develop arbuscules, and exchange nutrients. Most previous research involved killing the plant and fungus at a fixed point in time. However, Jen’s technique uses a special imaging chamber and a fluorescence microscope that doesn't disturb plant or fungus, allowing her to take micrographs (photographs through a microscope) over time. You can learn more about the range of imaging techniques used to study AM fungi in the Under the microscope section.
Jen’s science is uncovering how AM fungi can help plants, farmers and the environment. She also works with a range of artists, conservationists, schools, authors and museums to help share what she has learned. This website is designed to make the materials that Jen has created available for general use.
We hope you enjoy exploring them and find valuable content for your own outreach, teaching, or research. Let’s magnify mycorrhizae together!
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