Muscat: The discovery, a result of international collaboration spanning Brazil, China, the Netherlands, and Austria, was spearheaded by Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hatmi, Assistant Professor and Head of the Microbiology Laboratory at the University’s Center for Natural and Medical Sciences Research. The newly identified fungal family includes two genera and seven species that exhibit a unique ability to coexist symbiotically within ant nests.

Dr. Al Hatmi highlighted the discovery as a major advancement in fungal research, offering deeper insight into the evolutionary relationships between fungi and ants that span millions of years. He emphasized that the identification of this new family within the Chaetothyriales phylum opens significant doors for ecological studies, particularly in understanding microorganism-insect interactions and their role in sustaining biodiversity.

The research team meticulously collected ant nests from various plant sources and applied a combination of microscopic, physiological, and genetic analyses to isolate and classify the new fungal species. These fungi are noted for their complex symbiotic behaviors with ants and even other fungi.