New research has found that certain fungi, specifically the soil microbe *Trichoderma harzianum*, grow more vigorously when exposed to sound. 

Scientists at Flinders University conducted experiments in which this fungus was exposed to continuous noise at 8000 Hz, a sound similar to static between radio stations. The fungi that “listened” to the noise grew significantly more, producing 1.7 times more biomass and spores compared to fungi that weren’t exposed to sound.

The study suggests that fungi, although they can’t hear in the traditional sense, can sense vibrations through their cell walls, much like how our skin senses touch. This response might stimulate the fungi’s growth by altering gene expression or creating an electrical effect that affects cell signaling.

This discovery is important because *Trichoderma* helps plants grow and protects them from diseases. Scientists are hopeful that using sound could one-day support ecosystems in distress by boosting the growth of beneficial microbes in the soil. 

However, further research is needed to determine how sound affects microbes outside the lab, as real-world environments involve many different microbes interacting together.

These findings, published in *Biology Letters*, highlight the potential of using sound as a tool in ecological restoration, especially for improving plant-microbe interactions that are crucial for healthy ecosystems.

  You can read more about this Fun Fungi here: https://phys.org/news/2024-10-music-boost-fungus.html