From Landscape to Nanoscale Level

Ecosystem disturbance, tree diseases, carbon cycling, buildings crumbling, biorefining biomass, and bioremediation of environmental toxins are landscape level phenomena that can be caused by fungi. This presentation will cover a nanobiotechnology approach that turns the high intensity synchrotron light on fungal behavior to find nanoscale clues about ‘chemical burning’ of lignocellulose, the major component of trees, the structural component of wooden buildings and the woody biomass on the forest floor. Nanoscale clues will be described for understanding interactions between forest species and for putting fungi to work cleaning up environmental toxins.