A study has revealed that tiny organisms hiding in soil may be able to manipulate the atmosphere to lower rain levels. The discovery suggests that bacteria and fungi, which produce ice-making proteins, have a "superpower" that can reach up into the atmosphere and remove rain from the sky. While bacteria keep their proteins tucked away on their "skin," fungi (mainly Fusarium and Mortierella) secrete these proteins into the soil around them, making them more effective cloud seeds. This discovery could help scientists understand how organisms buried in the soil can influence the atmosphere. The research also revealed that fungi of the Mortierellaceae family gained the ability to create ice. They use ice to pump moisture towards their mycelia (a vast underground web of tiny fungal threads) and protect themselves from harsh conditions.