In a world overrun with plastic waste, the potential hero may arise from the humble realm of fungi. With between two and four million species worldwide, these often overlooked creatures hold possibilities ranging from alternative building materials to cleansing environmental … [Read more...] about Are mushrooms Mother Nature’s built-in solution to plastic pollution?
Fungi
“Twilight Zone” fungi from the ocean’s depths—a new frontier for antibiotic discovery
In a revolutionary discovery, the largest-ever investigation of ocean DNA, published in the journal Frontiers in Science, has shown a plethora of fungi living in the ocean's mysterious twilight zone. This enormous study builds on a comprehensive ocean DNA catalog that includes … [Read more...] about “Twilight Zone” fungi from the ocean’s depths—a new frontier for antibiotic discovery
Flora, fauna, and funga! UN advocates for new turn of phrase in conservation discourse
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) argued for the inclusion of fungi in conservation debates alongside flora and fauna so that fungi are “recognized and protected on an equal footing with animals and plants in legal conservation frameworks”. This shift … [Read more...] about Flora, fauna, and funga! UN advocates for new turn of phrase in conservation discourse
Four surprising reasons to add more mushrooms to your diet
Here at The Optimist Daily, we are huge fans of mushrooms. As each year passes, more scientists are turning toward fantastic fungi to treat a range of mental health conditions and look to their impressive networks for inspiration in building complex computing devices. Mushrooms … [Read more...] about Four surprising reasons to add more mushrooms to your diet
Research suggests that mushrooms use language to talk to each other
Just when we thought mushrooms couldn’t get any cooler, a scientist from the University of West England recently published some more fabulous news about fungi and how they might communicate. According to his findings, Professor Andrew Adamatzky believes that the electrical … [Read more...] about Research suggests that mushrooms use language to talk to each other