Two new species of fungi discovered in Gainesville
A UF researcher and professor dug up Gainesville dirt and found two new species.
UF postdoctoral researcher Keisuke Obase and UF plant pathology professor Matthew Smith found new species of fungi in a local soil sample.
Smith, a curator of UF’s fungal collection, said he and Obase studied multiple fungi they found in soil samples around Gainesville. Only two types of fungi were declared new, but Smith said they will continue analyzing the other species.
After two years of researching, Smith said the study is in the final stages of the publication process.
He said he is excited to share their discoveries and hopes they will encourage conservation.
"The reason that I’m interested in this research is because it shows us how much diversity is all around us, but we don’t really see it," Smith said.
He said he believes the research will affect those outside Gainesville, too.
"In order to know how to preserve things, we have to know what’s actually there," he said.
Knowing about fungi can also help people understand diseases, which Smith said can lead to preventing and combating them.
Smith said he is proud of the research.
"Fungi are cooler than you think they are," he said. "Most people don’t think they’re very cool, but they are."
- Rachel Howard
Bacteria used to decrease greenhouse gases
UF biochemists are using an enzyme found in deep-sea bacteria to potentially decrease greenhouse gases.
The enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, comes from bacteria that live in hot underwater vents. It can tolerate high temperatures, which means it can break down greenhouse gases, said Brian Mahon, who helped conduct the research. The gases are caused by burning fossil fuels.
The study was conducted by UF biochemistry and molecular biology professor Robert McKenna and UF biochemistry research assistants Mahon, 27, and Avni Bhatt, 23.
Bhatt said the enzyme "gobbles up" carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. In an industrial plant, the gas would be passed through a bioreactor, which is a chamber that contains the enzyme. The enzyme would eliminate it from the gas released.
"If we could produce enough of the enzyme and find a way to implement it within the industrial process, it would present a more efficient and potentially cheaper way to reduce greenhouse-gas emission," Mahon said.
Bhatt said implementing the research will be a challenge, but she still thinks it’s helpful.
"I certainly think (the enzyme) could be extremely useful, especially since carbon dioxide is a big contributor to climate change," Bhatt said.
-Jennifer Jenkins
Ancient Mayan history discovered through bones
A UF researcher uncovered new information about the ancient Mayan culture’s lower and middle classes.
UF anthropology doctoral student Ashley Sharpe recently published a paper focusing on the daily lives of Mayan commoners. By looking at how the Mayans interacted with animals, she found that ancient Mayans are similar to Americans today.
"We know about the ruling classes from their monuments, but we know next to nothing about the middle and lower classes," the 28-year-old said.
Sharpe studied thousands of animal bones and marine shells in the Florida Museum of Natural History. She said she found the Mayans ate deer and dogs in large quantities.
"Your little Chihuahuas — they were originally used as food," she said.
Sharpe said she also discovered marine shells more than 100 miles inland, which suggests an extensive trade system must have been developed between different Mayan groups.
She said the most interesting part of the research was how the use of bones showed the separation of social classes.
"The lowest class was only allowed to use things from the river, like turtles," she said. "The middle class had access to a lot of animals. But at the palaces of the elite there were animals like jaguars and crocodiles, which were probably given to them as gifts."
-Emily Mavrakis
