Mold Science

Serpula lacrymans — dry rot — is uniquely capable of transporting water through its mycelium across masonry to colonize dry timber throughout an entire building. Learn why this makes it the most destructive wood-rotting fungus in temperate buildings.

Blastomyces dermatitidis causes blastomycosis in the Great Lakes region and river valleys of North America — and unlike most invasive fungi, it regularly causes serious disease in healthy individuals. Learn its biology, characteristic skin lesions, and why it is so often misdiagnosed.

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii cause Valley Fever — 150,000 U.S. cases per year, most misdiagnosed. Learn the desert soil biology, expanding endemic range due to climate change, and why certain populations face dramatically higher risk of severe disease.

Cryptococcus neoformans causes cryptococcal meningitis — responsible for an estimated 150,000–180,000 deaths per year globally. Learn its association with pigeon droppings, how its polysaccharide capsule evades immunity, and the unexpected C. gattii Pacific Northwest outbreak.

Histoplasma capsulatum causes an estimated 500,000 infections per year in the U.S., most of which go undiagnosed. Found in bat and bird droppings in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, it causes everything from silent infection to life-threatening disease in immunocompromised patients.

Botrytis cinerea is simultaneously the most economically damaging plant pathogen globally and the producer of noble rot in Sauternes. Learn its biology, why it has evolved resistance to virtually all fungicides, and its human health significance.

Aureobasidium pullulans is the melanized, stress-tolerant organism responsible for black staining on window caulking and bathroom surfaces. It also produces pullulan, a commercially important biopolymer. Learn its biology, ecology, and health significance.

Ulocladium is a water-damage indicator species classified alongside Stachybotrys in the EPA's ERMI panel. Learn its morphology, why it requires sustained moisture to grow indoors, and what its presence means in a mold test.

Trichoderma is famous as an agricultural biocontrol agent but is also an indoor contaminant in water-damaged buildings and an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised patients. Learn its ecology, industrial uses, and health significance.