A fungus makes a chemical that neutralizes the stench of skunk spray | Science News

A puppy pal that gets sprayed by a skunk is no friend to human noses. The nasty odor can linger for weeks or more.

The scientists were clued into the compund when they grew the fungus together with a different fungal species. The Tolypocladium fungus produced pericosine that reacted with chemicals, including possibly harmful ones, made by the second fungus. What is pericosine could tackle other compouneds? To find out, the team ordered skunk spray essence: the "nasal equivalent of staring at teh sun" as Cichewicz puts it. Mixing the spray with pericosine made the smell go away.


The scientists were clued into the compund when they grew the fungus together with a different fungal species. The Tolypocladium fungus produced pericosine that reacted with chemicals, including possibly harmful ones, made by the second fungus. What is pericosine could tackle other compouneds? To find out, the team ordered skunk spray essence: the "nasal equivalent of staring at teh sun" as Cichewicz puts it. Mixing the spray with pericosine made the smell go away.

The scientists were clued into the compund when they grew the fungus together with a different fungal species. The Tolypocladium fungus produced pericosine that reacted with chemicals, including possibly harmful ones, made by the second fungus. What is pericosine could tackle other compouneds? To find out, the team ordered skunk spray essence: the "nasal equivalent of staring at teh sun" as Cichewicz puts it. Mixing the spray with pericosine made the smell go away.

The scientists were clued into the compund when they grew the fungus together with a different fungal species. The Tolypocladium fungus produced pericosine that reacted with chemicals, including possibly harmful ones, made by the second fungus. What is pericosine could tackle other compouneds? To find out, the team ordered skunk spray essence: the "nasal equivalent of staring at teh sun" as Cichewicz puts it. Mixing the spray with pericosine made the smell go away.The scientists were clued into the compund when they grew the fungus together with a different fungal species. The Tolypocladium fungus produced pericosine that reacted with chemicals, including possibly harmful ones, made by the second fungus. What is pericosine could tackle other compouneds? To find out, the team ordered skunk spray essence: the "nasal equivalent of staring at teh sun" as Cichewicz puts it. Mixing the spray with pericosine made the smell go away.

The scientists were clued into the compund when they grew the fungus together with a different fungal species. The Tolypocladium fungus produced pericosine that reacted with chemicals, including possibly harmful ones, made by the second fungus. What is pericosine could tackle other compouneds? To find out, the team ordered skunk spray essence: the "nasal equivalent of staring at teh sun" as Cichewicz puts it. Mixing the spray with pericosine made the smell go away.