You Didn’t Know Mushrooms Could Do All This | National Geographic

so many things you can do with fungi and

so many things you can do with fungi and this is what keeps us up at night punch

this is what keeps us up at night punch

this is what keeps us up at night punch out for food medicine textiles fiber

out for food medicine textiles fiber

out for food medicine textiles fiber packaging materials even biofuel fungi

packaging materials even biofuel fungi

packaging materials even biofuel fungi just have this potential to unlock

just have this potential to unlock

just have this potential to unlock biological material that’s a waste

biological material that’s a waste

biological material that’s a waste product in our civilization and convert

product in our civilization and convert

product in our civilization and convert it into something else so that’s what’s

it into something else so that’s what’s

it into something else so that’s what’s exciting and everyone’s like scampering

exciting and everyone’s like scampering

exciting and everyone’s like scampering on to this bandwagon to try to catch up

on to this bandwagon to try to catch up

on to this bandwagon to try to catch up I started as a grower and I was out

I started as a grower and I was out

I started as a grower and I was out collecting edible mushrooms that would

collecting edible mushrooms that would

collecting edible mushrooms that would be all I was interested in the edibility

be all I was interested in the edibility

be all I was interested in the edibility the economic factor you know I can sell

the economic factor you know I can sell

the economic factor you know I can sell this mushroom to make money this one’s

this mushroom to make money this one’s

this mushroom to make money this one’s definitely sellable it smells really

definitely sellable it smells really

definitely sellable it smells really good it’s just untie me completely

that’s affection all in the meantime I’m

that’s affection all in the meantime I’m focused on this one mushroom in the

focused on this one mushroom in the

focused on this one mushroom in the woods while there I’m passing thousands

woods while there I’m passing thousands

woods while there I’m passing thousands and I’ve got my blinders on

now all I’m interested in is is all

now all I’m interested in is is all those little brackets and fungi I have a

those little brackets and fungi I have a

those little brackets and fungi I have a lot of species of fungi here in the lab

lot of species of fungi here in the lab

lot of species of fungi here in the lab and there’s one and a half million

and there’s one and a half million

and there’s one and a half million species plus a fun giant on the planet

species plus a fun giant on the planet

species plus a fun giant on the planet to concentrate to somehow do we need to

to concentrate to somehow do we need to

to concentrate to somehow do we need to chemists or it kind of our theory is

chemists or it kind of our theory is

chemists or it kind of our theory is that when you have an infection and

that when you have an infection and

that when you have an infection and you’re either not sure what the bacteria

you’re either not sure what the bacteria

you’re either not sure what the bacteria is or you know that that bacteria is

is or you know that that bacteria is

is or you know that that bacteria is drug-resistant so we don’t have a really

drug-resistant so we don’t have a really

drug-resistant so we don’t have a really perfect treatment that you could take

perfect treatment that you could take

perfect treatment that you could take that bacterial inoculate the mushroom so

that bacterial inoculate the mushroom so

that bacterial inoculate the mushroom so put it on the mushroom the mushroom

put it on the mushroom the mushroom

put it on the mushroom the mushroom would then sweat out these metabolites

would then sweat out these metabolites

would then sweat out these metabolites and those metabolites would basically be

and those metabolites would basically be

and those metabolites would basically be able to kill that bacteria so it’s like

able to kill that bacteria so it’s like

able to kill that bacteria so it’s like a personalized antibiotic production

a personalized antibiotic production

a personalized antibiotic production system for your infection knowing the

system for your infection knowing the

system for your infection knowing the problems we have with antimicrobial

problems we have with antimicrobial

problems we have with antimicrobial resistance something like this that’s

resistance something like this that’s

resistance something like this that’s coming out of a different perspective

coming out of a different perspective

coming out of a different perspective and saying looks let’s take advantage of

and saying looks let’s take advantage of

and saying looks let’s take advantage of what the natural world can already do to

what the natural world can already do to

what the natural world can already do to meet that’s just fascinating

meet that’s just fascinating

meet that’s just fascinating I think it’s unlimited what we could do

I think it’s unlimited what we could do

I think it’s unlimited what we could do with mushrooms once we know more about

with mushrooms once we know more about

with mushrooms once we know more about the different varieties that are out

the different varieties that are out

the different varieties that are out there and more about their biology in

there and more about their biology in

there and more about their biology in general right now Haiti has been

general right now Haiti has been

general right now Haiti has been completely deforested and so part of the

completely deforested and so part of the

completely deforested and so part of the process of developing requires building

process of developing requires building

process of developing requires building materials there is a urgency to go out

materials there is a urgency to go out

materials there is a urgency to go out and find new sustainable products and I

and find new sustainable products and I

and find new sustainable products and I think this has a really big potential to

think this has a really big potential to

think this has a really big potential to be one of those we’re looking at

be one of those we’re looking at

be one of those we’re looking at compression strength tensile strength

compression strength tensile strength

compression strength tensile strength lamely hardens its ability to act as

lamely hardens its ability to act as

lamely hardens its ability to act as insulation the fungi has so many

insulation the fungi has so many

insulation the fungi has so many properties that are healing properties

properties that are healing properties

properties that are healing properties antibiotic properties lightweight it’s a

antibiotic properties lightweight it’s a

antibiotic properties lightweight it’s a great source of protein it will be able

great source of protein it will be able

great source of protein it will be able to filter all sorts of pathogens and

to filter all sorts of pathogens and

to filter all sorts of pathogens and chemicals out of our water system

the amount of potential solutions that

the amount of potential solutions that we have for fungi are tremendous good

we have for fungi are tremendous good

we have for fungi are tremendous good girl

girl

girl it’s her favorite you open one door

it’s her favorite you open one door

it’s her favorite you open one door there’s ten doors then you open up that

there’s ten doors then you open up that

there’s ten doors then you open up that one and it’s a hundred and all these

one and it’s a hundred and all these

one and it’s a hundred and all these have not been explored yet this is just

have not been explored yet this is just

have not been explored yet this is just the beginning

we’re not sure why the fungi

we’re not sure why the fungi bioluminesce and that’s what we’re

bioluminesce and that’s what we’re

bioluminesce and that’s what we’re trying to do right now let’s figure out

trying to do right now let’s figure out

trying to do right now let’s figure out why