Emma Wilson
Mushrooms, or rather, the fungi that produce them, have the potential to save the world in a variety of ways. Fungi can be used to create medicine, reduce water pollution, improve soil health, replace plastic, and even terraform other planets. Some mushrooms can break down plastic, while others can be used as a meat substitute, helping to reduce the environmental impact of livestock farming. Fungi can also be used to create sustainable alternatives to leather and polystyrene packaging. With so many potential applications, it's no wonder that some believe mushrooms could be the secret weapon in fighting disease, plastic pollution, and climate change.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Medicine | The antibiotic penicillin, cholesterol-lowering drug Lovastatin, and the immunosuppressant Ciclosporin are all medicines derived from fungi. |
| Food | Mushrooms can be used as meat substitutes. |
| Plastic Degradation | Oyster and Split Gill mushrooms can degrade small pieces of plastic. |
| Leather Alternative | MycoWorks has been developing Fine Mycelium, an alternative to animal leather, since 2016. |
| Packaging | Mushroom-based packaging can be used as an alternative to oil-based polystyrene. |
| Biodegradability | A building made from mushrooms, called Hy-Fi, was carbon-neutral and biodegradable. |
| Water Purification | Mycofiltration can be used to purify water. |
| Soil Health | Mushrooms can store carbon and improve soil health. |
| Radiation Tolerance | Mushrooms can be used to terraform other worlds due to their radiation tolerance. |
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What You'll Learn
- Mushrooms can be used to create eco-friendly packaging and leather
- Fungi can be used to reduce water pollution
- Fungi can break down indigestible straw stalks into food for cattle, sheep, and goats
- Mushrooms can be used as medicine, such as antibiotics and immunosuppressants
- Fungi can be used to clear up hazardous waste, including oil spills and heavy metals
Mushrooms can be used to create eco-friendly packaging and leather
Mushrooms, or more specifically, the mycelium, have been used to create eco-friendly packaging and leather. Mycelium is the thread-like system that connects fungi underground. It is an infinitely renewable, interlaced web that threads through soil, plants, and trees.
Mushroom-based packaging is an eco-friendly alternative to oil-based polystyrene, which takes thousands of years to decompose. Mushroom® Packaging by Ecovative is made by combining agricultural feedstock with the natural binding strength of mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. The process involves growing mycelium inside custom moulds under standard environmental conditions, which takes up to 7 days. After growth, the pieces are removed from the mould and left for another 2 days to finish developing their velvet-smooth texture. Kiln drying then removes water and renders the mycelium inert, so the packaging stays dry, stable, and strong. IKEA has switched to a similar mycelium-based packaging called MycoComposite.
Mycelium can also be used to create an alternative to animal leather. Fine Mycelium, developed by MycoWorks, is grown to the exact size and shape needed, meaning there is no waste. Mylo™ is another vegan leather made from mycelium. It is grown by expert mushroom farmers and scientists in indoor vertical farming facilities in Europe and the United States. The mycelial cells are fed sawdust and organic material while controlling the humidity and temperature. Mylo™ is not only sustainable but also soft and high-quality.
The use of mushrooms to create eco-friendly packaging and leather is yet another way that fungi can help save the world, along with their ability to break down plastics, purify water, and provide medicine.
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Fungi can be used to reduce water pollution
Fungi have been helping save the world for years. Fungi are all around us in the environment, and they are essential parts of natural ecosystems. They can break down complex carbon compounds like dead leaves or bark and return nutrients to the soil. Fungi can also be used to reduce water pollution.
Mycofiltration is an environmentally friendly technology that involves treating contaminated water by passing it through a network of fungal mycelium. Mycofiltration has gained momentum over the years, and research has been conducted to compile and synthesize literature on mycofiltration studies, paying special attention to the types and levels of contaminants removed. The results of these studies will be useful for municipalities and other stakeholders interested in interventions for alleviating wastewater-related pollution in surrounding water bodies.
In 2014, a building called Hy-Fi was ‘grown’ out of mushrooms in New York City. The white bio-bricks its towers were constructed from were created by packing together agricultural waste and mycelium, allowing them to grow inside a mould until they became solid. The FUNGAR Project continues to experiment with using fungi as an alternative to traditional carbon-intensive materials like concrete.
In the 1980s, mycologist Paul Stamets conducted a groundbreaking study that reduced water pollution from livestock using large edible mushrooms called Garden Giants, which were grown in beds of wood chips and used as filters in the path of agricultural runoff. He recorded a 100-fold reduction in water pollution levels, sparking an interest in using mycofiltration to purify water.
Fungi can also help reduce plastic pollution. Oyster and split gill mushrooms can fully degrade small pieces of plastic, leaving behind edible mycelium. Additionally, scientists are working on helping fungi and bacteria learn how to make use of plastic to reduce plastic waste.
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Fungi can break down indigestible straw stalks into food for cattle, sheep, and goats
Straw is a poor-quality feed for ruminants like cattle, sheep, and goats due to its low digestibility. Straw is composed of indigestible fibres and lignin, which binds these fibres together. While ruminants can eat straw, the higher the lignin content, the more difficult it is for them to digest the plant's carbohydrates.
Certain types of fungi, such as oyster and shiitake mushrooms, can break down lignin. They first colonize their substrate with a network of fungal threads (mycelium) to facilitate their growth. By taking nutrients from the substrate, these fungi can break down the lignin in straw, turning it into a digestible feed for ruminants.
Research at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands has focused on developing methods to break down lignin in straw. Their studies have found that oyster mushrooms can result in ruminants, such as cows, absorbing twice as much energy from rice straw.
The ability of fungi to break down straw into digestible feed for cattle, sheep, and goats has important implications for agriculture and livestock farming. By improving the digestibility of straw, farmers can provide a more nutritious and economical feed source for their animals. Additionally, with straw being a cheap and abundant byproduct, this process can help reduce the need for expensive grain or hay supplements.
Furthermore, the use of fungi to enhance the nutritional value of straw for livestock is just one example of how mushrooms can contribute to saving the world. Fungi have also been explored for their ability to reduce water pollution, create sustainable materials, and break down plastic waste.
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Mushrooms can be used as medicine, such as antibiotics and immunosuppressants
Mushrooms have been used as medicine for centuries, with new scientific research beginning to validate these claims. They can produce a wide range of physiologically active chemicals, making them a distinct class of nutraceuticals that are frequently used as dietary supplements.
One of the most famous medicines derived from fungi is the antibiotic penicillin, discovered by Alexander Fleming when he found that a blue-green mould prevented the growth of infectious bacteria. Lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug used to combat heart disease, was also isolated from a fungus called Aspergillus terreus. Fungi-derived antibiotics have since been widely studied in academia and industry.
Another medicinal compound derived from mushrooms is an immunosuppressant called ciclosporin, which is used to increase the success of organ transplants. The use of fungi in oncology is also being explored, with some studies suggesting that mushroom compounds can improve the survival of cancer patients when combined with chemotherapy. For example, in a study of advanced gastric cancer patients, overall survival was markedly improved in the group that received PSK (a mushroom-derived compound) in addition to tegafur/uracil (UFT). Agaricus bisporus has also shown promising results against prostate cancer by reducing immunosuppressive factors.
Mushrooms have also been found to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, and antidiabetic properties, among others. These medicinal properties have been attributed to the many bioactive metabolites present in the mycelium and the fruiting body of the mushroom.
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Fungi can be used to clear up hazardous waste, including oil spills and heavy metals
Fungi have been used to clear up hazardous waste, including oil spills and heavy metals. This process is called mycoremediation. In 2014, mycologist Paul Stamets conducted a groundbreaking study using large edible mushrooms called Garden Giants, growing in beds of wood chips, to filter agricultural runoff. He recorded a 100-fold reduction in water pollution levels, sparking an interest in using mycofiltration to purify water.
Mushrooms can feed on organic compounds and break down lignins, removing petroleum-based contaminants from the soil and breaking them down so that even the mushrooms themselves are non-toxic. In 2017, Chinese researchers isolated a fungus capable of digesting polyster polyurethane. Fungi have also been shown to break down a range of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anticancer drugs.
Fungi are uniquely equipped with an extensive arsenal of enzymes, including laccases, peroxidases, and hydrolases, which facilitate the breakdown of complex organic compounds, heavy metals, and xenobiotics into less harmful substances. They can also be more effective than bacteria for the bioremediation of marine sediments highly contaminated with heavy metals.
In addition to their use in hazardous waste remediation, fungi can also be used to create sustainable alternatives to animal leather and packaging materials. For example, the company MycoWorks has been developing an alternative to animal leather called Fine Mycelium since 2016. IKEA has also switched to a mycelium-based packaging called MycoComposite, which can be grown in less than a week to the exact shape and size needed, using significantly less energy than traditional packaging.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushrooms have many useful properties, including being a food and medicine source. Mushrooms can also be used to create eco-friendly packaging, leather, and buildings.
Mushroom-based packaging is a perfect substitute for oil-based polystyrene, which takes thousands of years to decompose. IKEA has switched to a mycelium-based packaging called MycoComposite, which can be ‘grown’ in less than a week to the exact shape and size needed. MycoWorks has been developing an alternative to animal leather called Fine Mycelium since 2016. In 2014, a building called Hy-Fi was ‘grown’ out of mushrooms in New York City, which was carbon-neutral and biodegradable.
Many medicines commonly used today are fungus-based. For example, the antibiotic penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming when he found that a blue-green mould prevented the growth of infectious bacteria. Lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug used to help combat heart disease, was first isolated from a soil-based fungus called Aspergillus terreus.
Mushrooms might hold the solution for feeding animals. Some fungi can break down indigestible straw stalks to a carbohydrate-rich material that can be easily digested by cattle, sheep, and goats. When fed mushroom supplements, chickens can lay better-quality eggs. Additionally, some mushroom varieties can be ground down into a meat-like texture and used for burgers or mince, helping humans reduce meat consumption.
Mushrooms can be used to clear up hazardous waste, including oil spills, heavy metals, and plastic waste. In 2011, Yale students discovered that a fungus called Pestalotiopsis microspora has the ability to digest and break down polyurethane plastic. Oyster and Split Gill mushrooms can also fully degrade small pieces of plastic.
