Mold Science

Paecilomyces and its reclassified relatives are used worldwide as biological insecticides — but they also cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients and were implicated in a major 2012 contaminated drug outbreak. Learn their dual roles.

Exophiala is a black yeast that survives in jet fuel, nuclear reactor cooling water, and dishwasher rubber seals — and causes fatal brain infections in certain populations. Learn the biology of this remarkable extremophile and its clinical significance.

Sporothrix schenckii causes rose thorn disease — a subcutaneous fungal infection acquired through plant material or, in an ongoing Brazilian epidemic, domestic cat scratches. Learn the biology, distinctive lymphocutaneous spread pattern, and treatment.

Acremonium chrysogenum is the source of cephalosporin antibiotics — among the most widely used drugs in medicine. Learn the biology of this versatile genus, its role as an indoor building contaminant, grass endophyte, and opportunistic pathogen.

Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is the leading non-dermatophyte cause of nail infections and the organism responsible for converting arsenic wallpaper pigments into toxic gases — possibly contributing to Napoleon's death. Learn its biology, treatment challenges, and building relevance.

Wallemia sebi is a xerophilic extremophile that grows at water activities too low for virtually all other molds — thriving in sugar, salt, and even the Dead Sea. Learn why it colonizes dried food and house dust rather than water-damaged materials.