ScienceJuly 27, 2026

conidia

koh-NID-ee-uh

Definition

Asexual, non-motile spores produced by fungi, which allow them to disperse and reproduce without sexual recombination.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek word 'konis' meaning 'dust', reflecting the powdery appearance of fungal spores when they accumulate in large masses.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe specialized hardware for inoculating plant pathology research samples with these fungal spores in a weightless environment.

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,209 24 July 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)

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Astrobiology Web

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