Mushrooms Devouring Flesh: Nature's Decomposers At Work

Mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi, which are fungi with fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye. While mushrooms are typically consumed for their nutritional and culinary value, artist Jae Rhim Lee is challenging the way we think about mushrooms by developing edible mushroom species that break down human tissue. Lee's Infinity Burial Project involves a Mushroom Death Suit, which is made of a cotton base layer overlaid with a crocheted cotton netting embedded with mushroom mycelia and spores. The aim of the project is to encourage a dialogue around funeral practices, death denial, and the relationship between our postmortem practices and the environment.

Jae Rhim Lee's Infinity Burial Project

Jae Rhim Lee is a visual artist who is also the founder of Coeio and the Infinity Burial Project. The project aims to encourage people to accept and embrace their mortality and to rethink their relationship with death and the planet. The project involves training mushrooms to decompose human tissue and developing a new green burial system. Lee cultivates and fine-tunes tissue-digesting fungi in a DIY tarpaulin-covered mobile laboratory. She introduces common fungi to her own skin, hair, nail clippings, and other body tissues so that they start to digest them.

The Infinity Burial Suit, also known as the "Mushroom Death Suit", is made of organic cotton and covered with an embroidered net of threads that resemble the growth pattern of mushroom mycelium and is infused with mushroom spores. The suit also includes a special cocktail of minerals and spores that encourage mushroom growth from within the corpse. The mushrooms help to break down organic material and remediate toxins in the soil. Lee's work challenges the disconnect between our bodies and the environment and the fear that we have of our own bodies.

Lee's work also includes sculptures of bodies at rest, and she has appeared in exhibitions in North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. She is a Stanford d.school Fellow, TED Fellow, and CEO of Coeio. The Infinity Burial Project has sparked a dialogue about funeral practices, death denial, and the relationship between postmortem practices and the environment.

Lee's idea for the Infinity Burial Project sprang from her interest in the relationship between death denial and the environmental impact of death. She wanted to create a burial method that was not only less harmful but also beneficial to the earth, returning all the nutrients in our bodies to the earth and having that be a moment of transformation and renewal. The project has evolved from an art project into a real product, with people now able to purchase the Infinity Burial Suit for themselves or their loved ones.

Mushrooms as parasites

Mushrooms are a type of fungus that can be both parasitic and saprotrophic (feeding on dead and decaying organic matter). Some mushrooms are known to be parasitic, feeding on living organisms such as insects, trees, and even human tissue. For example, the caterpillar fungus, also known as yartsa ganbu, is a mushroom-producing parasitic fungus that infects and kills a specific species of caterpillar, using the nutrients from the insect to produce a small mushroom that grows out of the caterpillar's head. This type of fungus is prized for its health benefits and is considered a delicacy in some cultures.

Another example of a parasitic mushroom is the lion's mane mushroom, which grows on dead trees and logs and from wounds on living trees. Lion's mane mushrooms are classified as both saprotrophic and parasitic. They are unique in their appearance, with a shaggy, tooth-like shape, and are known for their medicinal properties. Studies have shown that they can improve cognitive abilities, boost the immune system, and reduce inflammation. They are also safe to consume in large quantities and have a mild, sweet flavor similar to crab or lobster.

Poplar mushrooms, found in New Zealand and Australia, are another example of parasitic mushrooms. These large, edible fungi grow saprotrophically and parasitically on various trees, causing heart rot that eventually kills the tree. Poplar mushrooms are prized for their culinary applications, with a meaty texture and savory, umami flavor. They can be easily grown outdoors on logs or indoors on hardwood sawdust or wood chips.

In addition to these natural examples, artist and designer Jae Rhim Lee has explored the concept of using flesh-eating mushrooms to address environmental concerns around traditional funeral practices. Lee's Infinity Burial Project includes the creation of a "mushroom death suit," which is made of a cotton base layer overlaid with a crocheted cotton netting embedded with mushroom mycelia and spores. The idea is to use mushrooms to facilitate the clean and eco-friendly decomposition of human bodies after death, challenging societal taboos and promoting a more sustainable approach to mortality.

Fungi feeding through absorption

Mushrooms and other fungi play an essential role in the decomposition of organic matter, including dead plants and animals, and have fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and exchange. Fungi are heterotrophs, meaning they rely on carbon obtained from other organisms for their metabolism and nutrition. They absorb nutrients from their environment through mycelia, which have a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, allowing for efficient absorption.

Fungi feed through absorption by secreting enzymes that break down large organic molecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids into smaller molecules. These enzymes are secreted into the surface on which the fungi are growing, and the resulting molecules are then absorbed directly through the hyphal walls. The entire mycelial surface of a fungus is capable of absorbing materials dissolved in water.

Saprotrophic fungi, such as shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), are important decomposers in forests. They obtain their food from dead organic material, decomposing it by releasing enzymes from hyphal tips that break down the tissue. Parasitic fungi, on the other hand, feed on living organisms, usually plants, causing disease. They also use enzymes to break down living tissue and obtain their nutrients from their host.

Artist Jae Rhim Lee is working on a project involving flesh-eating mushrooms. She is training edible mushroom species to break down human tissue by cultivating them on her discarded body tissue. The goal of her project is to challenge our relationship with death and the planet, offering a clean and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional funeral practices.

Training mushrooms to eat human tissue

Mushrooms typically prefer to grow on decomposing plant matter, compost, wood, manure, leaf litter, and sawdust. However, artist and designer Jae Rhim Lee is challenging the disconnect between human bodies and the environment by exploring the use of flesh-eating mushrooms for clean and green human decomposition in her Infinity Burial Project. This project involves a Mushroom Death Suit, the Decompiculture Society, and alternative postmortem gear.

Lee is in the process of training edible mushroom species to break down human tissue by cultivating them on her own discarded body tissue. This process involves introducing different food sources to the mushrooms and then slowly depriving them of wood-based substances. While there is no single mushroom or cluster of mushrooms that can remediate all toxins, Lee's work builds on that of Paul Stamets, who has proven that mushrooms can be trained to grow on any organic material, including petrochemicals and plastics like Bakelite.

The Infinity Burial Suit is made of a cotton base layer overlaid with a crocheted cotton netting embedded with mushroom mycelia and spores. The pattern of the crocheted netting visually represents how mushroom mycelia grow. Lee is also working on other delivery mechanisms, such as a second skin made of a nutrient gel embedded with bacteria and spore-filled capsules.

Lee's work aims to create a dialogue around funeral practices, death denial, and the relationship between postmortem practices and the environment. By embracing the fact that our bodies are mortal and physical, Lee's project seeks to address the environmental harm caused by contemporary funeral practices, such as embalming and cremation, which release toxins into the atmosphere.

Mushrooms as a clean and green alternative to traditional decomposition

Mushrooms are a clean and green alternative to traditional decomposition methods. Jae Rhim Lee, an artist and designer, is challenging the disconnect between our bodies and the environment, and our fear of death, with the help of flesh-eating mushrooms. Her Infinity Burial Project, which includes the Mushroom Death Suit, offers an eco-friendly way to return to the earth after death.

Mushrooms, as part of the fungi family, feed by absorbing nutrients from their surroundings. They secrete digestive enzymes that break down the substrate, allowing them to absorb the nutrients. This process is facilitated by their large surface area compared to their volume, which also makes them susceptible to dessication and ion imbalance. However, this is usually not an issue as they grow within a moist substrate.

Fungi produce spores, from which haploid hyphae grow and may give rise to asexual sporangia. The fusion of hyphae from two different fungal organisms marks the beginning of the sexual phase. The fused hypha, or dikaryon, can live for years or even centuries. Eventually, it forms sexual sporangia, which undergo meiosis to produce new haploid spores, thus completing the cycle.

Some mushrooms, such as the edible Boletus native to Europe, are sought after for their delicious flavor and nutritional value. Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining and building strong bones. They also contain vitamin B6, which helps the body form red blood cells, proteins, and DNA. Additionally, mushrooms are low in sodium and can be used as a substitute for red meat, helping to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

By training mushrooms to break down human tissue, Lee is offering a unique and environmentally friendly approach to decomposition. This method not only addresses our fear of death but also provides a natural and sustainable way for our bodies to interact with the world after death.

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