An international research team, including members from Princeton University, has developed a method to observe mycorrhizal fungi in unprecedented detail. This collaboration between institutions in the Netherlands, France, and the United States has provided insights into the complex interactions between fungi and plants that have existed for hundreds of millions of years.
Howard Stone, a professor at Princeton and one of the study’s authors, highlighted the hidden nature of these underground processes: “Under the ground, there are all these things happening that no one ever thinks much about because they don’t see them.” The study offers a detailed look at how these networks form and function, focusing on fluid movements within fungal structures that are about one-tenth the diameter of human hair.
The researchers discovered several intriguing mechanisms within these fungal networks. According to biophysicist Thomas Shimizu from the AMOLF Institute in Amsterdam, “First, the fungi favor opportunities in the future over gains in the short term.” Fungi develop specialized tips that explore new areas while maintaining an efficient network capable of storing significant amounts of carbon dioxide annually.
Toby Kiers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam emphasized another finding: “We know that two-way traffic is more efficient than one-way traffic, but it can also be prone to congestion.” The study found that fungi adapt by adjusting flows based on resource demand near plant roots.
The third major discovery involved local decision-making strategies among fungi. As Shimizu explained, when fungal branches meet, they fuse together—a strategy to prevent overbuilding while optimizing nutrient extraction and exploration.
The team’s research was facilitated by a robotic microscopy system that collected extensive data over three years. This allowed for an analysis far beyond what manual methods could achieve. Their findings shed light on how fungi have sustained plant life by solving complex transportation and trade challenges over millennia.
The study was published in Nature on February 26 under the title “A travelling-wave strategy for plant-fungal trade” with support from various organizations including Princeton’s High Meadows Environmental Institute’s Biodiversity Grand Challenges Fund and others.
