Rhizopus oryzae

Rhizopus oryzae is a fungus that lives worldwide in dead organic matter. It also infects carrots, pineapples and mangoes.

An opportunistic human pathogen, it is one causative agent of zygomycosis (more properly mucormycosis). The RA 99-880 strain, which was isolated from a fatal infection, had its genome sequenced by the Broad Institute in 2004–2005. However more recent analyses indicate that this strain actually belongs to a very closely related species, Rhizopus delemar.

Rhizopus strains including R. oryzae are used (mainly in Asian) in the food industry and its products are generally recognised as safe. Rhizopus oligosporus and R. oryzae are used in the production of tempeh.