April 22, 2022

Erin Carr, a postdoctoral research associate in chemical and biomolecular engineering, holds up a petri dish filled with streaky, spotty black fungus. Carr has been studying Exophiala viscosa, nicknamed "Goopy," for over a decade in large part because the fungus excretes melanin, a natural pigment that determines the color of human skin, hair and eyes, and plays a role in reducing inflammation and preventing cancers. June 17, 2025. Photo by Liz McCue / University Communication and Marketing.