{
  "id": 10742333,
  "title": "Researchers find a fungus in Kentucky's forest grass that makes rare bug-fighting chemicals",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/researchers-find-a-fungus-in-kentuckys-forest-grass-that-makes-rare",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-29T17:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-fungus-kentucky-forest-grass-rare.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists from the University of Kentucky have discovered a special type of fungus living inside a common Kentucky woodland grass called bearded shorthusk. This fungus, named Epichloë brachyelytri, produces a unique combination of chemicals that likely help protect the plant from hungry insects. The findings, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, reveal that the fungus makes three different alkaloids, two of which are usually transformed into more complex chemicals by other fungi. However, this fungus stops the process early and keeps the chemicals as final products, making it a rare occurrence. The researchers collected grass samples from six locations across Kentucky, including forests, national parks, and botanical gardens. By analyzing these samples using advanced technology, they found that the production of these protective chemicals varies across different sites. The study suggests that the fungus invests significant energy in producing these chemicals, indicating their importance for the plant's survival in most locations. Understanding this symbiotic relationship between the fungus and the grass can provide insights into breeding better, safer pasture grasses for livestock while also revealing the evolutionary history of these grass-fungus partnerships.",
  "summary": "Researchers at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) have discovered that a fungus living inside a common Kentucky woodland grass produces a rare combination of chemicals that likely helps protect the plant from hungry insects.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}