Algae of commercial uses. It is a good medium on which to grow bacteria and fungi, as most microorganisms cannot digest agar. Alginic acid, or alginate, is extracted from brown algae. Its uses range from gelling agents in food, to medical dressings. Alginic acid also has been used in the field of biotechnology as a biocompatible medium for cell encapsulation and cell immobilization. Molecular cuisine is also a user of the substance for its gelling properties, by which it becomes a delivery vehicle for flavours. Between 100,000 and 170,000 wet tons of "Macrocystis" are harvested annually in New Mexico for alginate
Clavarioid fungi on wood or on decaying herbaceous stems and fallen leaves. Some species, particularly in the genera "Clavulina" and "Ramaria", are known to be ectomycorrhizal (forming a beneficial association with the roots of living trees). Species in the genera "Ertzia", "Multiclavula", "Lepidostroma", and "Sulzbacheromyces" are lichenized and grow in association with algae. Clavarioid fungi have a worldwide distribution, though some genera—such as "Aphelaria" and "Lachnocladium"—are principally tropical. They are one of the most common of the four fungi groupings. Clavarioid fungi The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the "Basidiomycota" typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps (fruit bodies)