THE MYCO FILES TRANSCRIBED

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Ep. 5

An organization called SPUN, which is the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, attempts to map the world's underground networks. Their mission is to advocate for those fungal networks and drive innovation in underground climate science. A noble cause by any measure.

And a new paper published in the Journal of Astrobiology on Feb 7, 2022, called "Intelligence as a Planetary Scale Process" by Adam Frank et al. The paper presents the idea of “planetary intelligence,” which describes the collective knowledge and cognition of an entire planet. In a Feb 17 article by Tony Tran published on Futurism.com, it says, “The researchers point to evidence that underground networks of fungi can communicate to suggest that large-scale networks of life could form a vast invisible intelligence that profoundly alters the condition of the entire planet.” And Paul Stamets says in a Facebook post, “I told you so.” Check page 7 of Mycelium Running.” So, with SPUN mapping mycelial networks and the networks being the foundation of planetary consciousness, all of this adds up to more or less what many mycophiles already believe: that the great mother is alive and conscious. That makes us humans just visitors on this planet ruled by fungi. What terrible guests we are. I doubt we will be invited back.

Now, a short break for a message from our sponsor, me…

Welcome back. In medicinal mushroom news, science stepped in it again with a new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology titled, "Psilocybin Microdosing Does Not Affect Emotion-Related Symptoms and Processing: A Preregistered Field and Lab-Based Study" authored by Josephine Marschall et al. In a PsyPost.org article by Erik W. Dolan, it says, “Preliminary research has indicated that microdosing psychedelics is also associated with a range of psychological benefits, such as increased productivity and reduced stress.” Michiel van Elk, co-author of the paper and an associate professor of cognitive psychology at Leiden University, says, “The main interest in this topic stems from anecdotal reports of people who microdose and say they experience the beneficial effects.” All other research so far does not include a placebo control. In this double-blind placebo-controlled study, 75 people participated. Van Elk went on to say, “Of course, this does not mean that microdosing is completely ineffective. We only found no objective evidence in our controlled study. But there are indeed many caveats. It could well be that the dosing we used was suboptimal and needs to be fine-tuned on an individual basis.” “Another caveat is that many people in our study broke blind, and they figured out what group they were assigned to. The effects of psychedelics are so obvious — even at lower doses — that it is difficult to prevent people from figuring it out.” This raises two questions for me: first, why discount placebo effects if they work to improve one's condition? If you are messing around with psychedelics, then you need to include the power of intention and manifestation as a real-world mechanism for self-healing. And the second question is: why publish a study that has been so clearly compromised? Oh, science, you can be a real double-blind asshole sometimes.

It is time now to check in with your field correspondent and see what’s going on out in the forest.

Welcome back, and thank you for that, Hamilton.

In foraging news, the new burn morel maps are now available from Modern Forager. They will guide you to the right places and save you much time wandering through the soot and ashes.

In applied mycology news, the late Luke Perry, Canadian actor and star of the hit series 90210, died in March of 2019 from a stroke. My condolences to the family. Perry was buried in a mycelium suit, named the Infinity Suit and designed by MIT grad Jae Rhim Lee. The idea is that the mycelium will help to decompose the body and process the toxins, making it safer for the environment. I reported on this technology back in episode 2, and just like everyone else, I was swept away by the beautiful fantasy of my rotting toxic body somehow being purified by the mycelium goddess. But wait, doesn’t mycelium need a gas exchange to work? It’s a question nobody seems to be asking around the Infinity Suit and another technology called the Loop Coffin. Also, the Loop Coffin uses a Ganoderma species of fungi, which breaks down lignin. There is no lignin in the human body. Mycelium requires a gas exchange in order to live. But at 6 feet deep, the decomposition is anaerobic. So, how does the mycelium work at depth? I’m asking, how does it work?

However, the greater problem remains, even in death, humans are killing the planet. U.S. burials use approximately 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid each year, according to Cornell University research shared by the Green Burial Council, and 827,000 gallons of that is formaldehyde, methanol, and benzene. Moreover, caskets and vaults use 20 million board-feet of hardwoods and 17,000 tons of copper and bronze, 64,500 tons of steel — which can leach iron, copper, lead, zinc, and cobalt into the environment. And cremation isn’t much better, as the process uses fossil fuels to reach and maintain 1,900 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours, which releases mercury into the air and water, and creates byproducts like nitrogen oxide, dioxins, and particulates that are found in acid rain. So, we definitely need a solution to human body disposal practices, and hopefully, these mycelium-based ideas are a step in the right direction. Perhaps the people doing human composting are leading the way.

In myconomics news, NFTs. Merlin Sheldrake, biologist, mycology sweetheart, and author of Entangled Life, has partnered with production company Accursed Share and launched a series of Non-Fungible Tokens based on Sheldrake’s book. The NFTs will explore the interrelationships between fungi and web3 technology. John Connor, CEO of Accursed Share, says, “Bridging biology with decentralized technology and NFTs is an ideal representation of how fungal networks work together to sustain life,” “Merlin’s work explores decentralized decision-making and resource coordination in fungi, concepts which can help shape the way we understand and design optimal functioning Decentralized Autonomous Organizations and other web3 entities.” If I understand this idea correctly, there’s some biomimicking happening. I wonder if it will model mycorrhizal fungi or decomposers?

Another fungi-based NFT is a very large black truffle that weighs in at 1265 grams. This big but not biggest Tuber melanosporum is being auctioned as an NFT. The winning bidder will receive an NFT to authenticate it and an actual physical certificate of authentication. How does that even work, and why does it even matter? Apparently, an NFT will help establish the truffle's provenance. So the crypto-based online NFT will prove that the IRL stinky, heavy truffle is true and real, for real. The irony here is that non-fungible means it cannot be shared, flying in the face of its namesake.

In cultivation news, I would like to run a correction: In EP4, I reported on the spring Psilocybin Cup organized by Oakland Hyphae, but I used the wrong graphic. Forgive me. While investigating this, something amazing was revealed to me. The spring cup winner, MAGIC MYCO FAM, and their Tidal Wave strain won with a whopping 2.26 percent per dry gram of psilocybin. That is nearly double the natural occurring amount in the most potent species. That is amazing on its own, but this is where it gets crazy. Just 6 months later, in the fall Psilocybin Cup, all top ten competitors ranked around ten percent! Excuse my language, but that deserves a big fuuuuuuuuck! What the eff is going on? And more importantly, when will these strains make it to Colorado? To the best of my knowledge, which isn’t saying much because this is way out of my league, the Magic Myco Fam used an antibiotic fusion technique in the culture, by encouraging two potent strains to fuse and become one. Then that fusion is isolated and cultured again. According to the Tidal Wave newsletter, this was a new technique that was ridiculed in the mycology community. Nobody is laughing now. When asked for a comment, the Magic Myco Fam said, “You do the work, and the work does you.” Deep insights from a psilocybe cultivar.

In mushroom news, I would like to offer a virtual high five to the Mushroom Revival Podcast for broaching the subject of racism and xenophobia in the mushroom space. That is an important topic that needs to be brought to light, and it saddens me that racism is alive and well in the mushroom community, but it is no surprise that mushroom people are still human, as much as they try not to be. And high five to Trent Blizzard as the new president of the North American Mycological Association. Deep gratitude to Barbara Ching for her great work as the outgoing executive director and president.

That’s it for this episode of the Myco Files. I’m Hamilton Pevec, and your attention is deeply appreciated. Happy hunting and gathering. May the great mother provide all that you need.

Ep. 4

Welcome to the Myco Files, I'm Hamilton Pevec. Thank you for your patience as I got my act together for the much-anticipated fourth installment.

I deeply appreciate everyone who has gone out of their way to let me know that they enjoy the show. And double thanks to those who don’t enjoy the show and still managed some civility.

YouTube etiquette requires me to ask you to tap that like button, smash that subscribe button; however, it has come to my attention that “tap and smash” are euphemisms for sex. So, do what you want with that.

Leave your remarks in the comment section as I am actually interested in what you have to say.

Now on to the top stories. In medicinal mushroom news:

A new study released on September 8, 2021, titled "The Novel Nucleoside Analogue ProTide NUC-7738 Overcomes Cancer Resistance Mechanisms In Vitro and in a First-In-Human Phase One Clinical Trial," authored by Hagen Schwenzer and Erica De Zan et alia.

A new kind of chemotherapy derived from cordycepin, aka 3-deoxy adenosine, found in Ophiocordyceps sinensis, Cordyceps militaris among others, has been revealed as a potent anti-cancer agent.

They call the new protide NUC-7738; these changes make the drug candidate's anti-cancer properties up to 40 times more potent than cordycepin when tested against a range of human cancer cell lines.

To clarify, ProTide technology is a prodrug approach used in molecular biology and drug design. It is designed to deliver nucleotide analogues into the cell.

The study shows that NUC-7738 overcomes the cancer resistance mechanisms that limit the activity of 3-deoxy adenosine, and that its activation is dependent on the new ProTide.

Tumor samples obtained from the ongoing first-in-human phase one clinical trial further validate the in vitro findings that NUC-7738 is an effective pro-apoptotic agent in cancer cells.

Phase one is still ongoing since 2019, and phase two planning is underway.

This breakthrough is likely to increase demand and value on O. sinensis and C. militaris. This is already considered the most expensive parasite in the world, but on the other hand, this is one more win for medicinal mushrooms.

In other medicinal mushroom news: A paper titled "In vivo production of psilocybin in E. coli" was published in the Metabolic Engineering Journal, Elsevier.

Scientists have engineered bacteria to produce psilocybin in their cells and poop it out. Now that is some good shit.

A ScienceAlert.com article by Michelle Starr reports a team of biochemists led by Andrew Jones and Alexandra Adams of Miami University used metabolic engineering to blow our minds.

This is a biosynthesis process that relies on changing cells so they will produce compounds they don't naturally produce; one example of this is bioethanol.

A popular bacterium for this purpose is Escherichia coli, yes, that is the way it is pronounced.

E. coli is easy to engineer, prolific, well understood, and has a large and versatile array of genetic tools available for engineering. They introduced psilocybin-producing genes from Psilocybe cubensis into the bacterium.

Jones said, "We are taking the DNA from the mushroom that encodes its ability to make this product and putting it in E. coli. It's similar to the way you make beer, through a fermentation process. We are effectively taking the technology that allows for scale and speed of production and applying it to our psilocybin-producing E. coli."

The E. coli can produce massive amounts of psilocybin, ultimately resulting in a fed-batch fermentation study, with a production titer of 1.16 g/L of psilocybin. This is the highest psilocybin titer achieved to date from a recombinant organism. Imagine that: a vat of fermented E. coli with the potency power to make a hundred million people go inter-dimensional. For healing purposes, of course.

Let's take a break for a quick message from our sponsor; we will be back before you can say Schizophyllum commune.

Welcome back. In other psilocybin news: A laboratory in Oakland, California, called Oakland Hyphae just hosted the first-ever Psilocybin Cup, a cultivation competition to see who can grow the most potent Psilocybe cubensis. Oakland was the first city in the country to decriminalize magic mushrooms, in June of 2019. The Psilocybin Cup had 64 entrants, but only one winner. The first-place winner is The Magic Myco Fam, and they grew a strain called Tidal Wave, which is a Penis Envy and B+ fusion. You might be wondering how a two-strain fusion is even possible? More on that in the next episode.

The Magic Myco Fam crushed the competition with a staggering 2.26 percent per dry gram of psilocybin! Almost a full percent more than second place. Cultivar Chip Foresight and his Fuzzy Balls strain came in second, and Black Apple 411 came in third with their Vulvaless Penis Envy. Congratulations to all, thank you for your public service. On a side note: the names of these strains help one appreciate that there are people out there who consider themselves mycosexual.

In still other psilocybin news, Detroit has decriminalized psychedelics, including magic mushrooms, and Italy is on track to do the same, with over half a million signatures collected for a referendum to decriminalize cannabis and magic mushrooms; the vote is to be held in early 2022.

As some parts of the world split at their ideological seams, it's nice to know that some places are on the right track.

Now let's go outside and check in with our forest correspondent.

Welcome back. Thank you for reminding me that I would rather be there.

In cultivation news: An American biotechnology company called Mycorrhiza Biotech has successfully inoculated pine saplings with truffles.

CEO Nancy Rosborough claims co-cropping truffles with loblolly pine can provide growers with an additional $110,000 of income per acre over the truffle production cycle. A cash crop for sure, but these Tuber borchii, a fragrant white truffle, are also “protecting” the forest ecosystem.

Loblolly pine forests that are highly mycorrhized have better survival rates against factors such as drought and other weather extremes. Something that is even more important when monocropping a single pine to get rich on truffles.

Mycorrhiza Biotech uses patent-pending micro-propagation and biotechnology protocols to propagate loblolly pine seedlings inoculated with Tuber borchii.

Once the mycorrhization is confirmed by DNA test, the process from germination to planting takes between nine and twelve months.

Makes me wish I had a few acres of loblolly and a couple of decades to make it happen. Loblolly.

In applied mycology news: A paper released in November 2020 titled “Reactive Fungal Wearable” by Andrew Adamatzky and Anna Nikolaidou et alia…

The researchers set out to assess the sensing potential of fungal wearables.

The research team undertook laboratory experiments on the electrical response of a hemp fabric colonized by oyster fungi, Pleurotus ostreatus, to mechanical stretching and stimulation with attractants and repellents.

Adamatzky says, "We have shown that it is possible to discern the nature of stimuli from the fungus's electrical responses."

These results have paved the way towards the future design of intelligent sensing patches to be used in reactive fungal wearables.

But what does that even mean?

A GreenQueen.com article by Tanuvi Joe says, "To explain this concept further, we use an example of a heart rate monitor, and using the study’s findings, the mushroom's perceptions of the environment would become the data that gives you the beats-per-minute count on this device."

Dr. Mohammad Mahdi Dehshibi, co-author of the study and researcher with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Scene Understanding and Artificial Intelligence Lab, said, "Fungi grow extremely fast and bind to the substrate you combine them with and are even able to process information in a way that resembles computers. We can reprogram the geometry and graph-theoretical structure of the mycelium networks and then use the fungi’s electrical activity to realize computing circuits. Fungi do not only respond to stimuli and trigger signals accordingly but also allow us to manipulate them to carry out computational tasks, in other words, to process information."

Mycelium computing. Could that be disruptive to current silicon-based chips? No, the authors of the paper don’t mean to replace silicon chips—fungal reactions are too slow for that. Rather, they think that the findings could help humans use mycelium growing in an ecosystem as a ‘large-scale environmental sensor’ as fungal networks are monitoring a large number of data streams as part of their everyday existence, and if we could plug into mycelial networks and interpret the signals they use to process information, individuals could learn more about what was happening in an ecosystem.

That is very Avatar, and where do I plug in?

In foraging news, the North American Mycological Association released their executive summary of the poisoning report in the March-April 2021 edition of THE MYCOPHILE newsletter. Authored by Michael W. Beug, Ph.D., and Chair of the NAMA Toxicology Committee.

The report covers poisoning from 2018 to 2020; there were 5 deaths. 1 death from muscarine found in a Clitocybe species, and 4 deaths from listeria found on contaminated Enoki mushrooms. Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year.

There were 29 dog deaths reported.

For the first time ever, Agaricus bisporus takes first place with the most reported poisonings at nine reported cases. You may know this mushroom as the only one in the store.

The strangest poisoning case in the past three years is a very recent case where the patient made a tea from Psilocybe cubensis and injected the tea into his arm. It was a psilocybin microdosing attempt gone horribly wrong. He survived after many days in the intensive care unit followed by three weeks in the hospital.

He needs ongoing treatment. Cultures taken of his blood revealed bacterial growth, and get this: Psilocybe cubensis was cultured from his blood, raising the question: is he still human? and making his case simultaneously terrifying, intriguing, and stupefying. Let this be a lesson to us all.

In mushroom news news, The second incarnation of the Fungi Film Fest is on, and tickets are on sale here. My latest film teaser called FUNGOS SANITATEM about people who have or are healing themselves with mushrooms, will be screening at the festival, don’t miss it!

There is a new biannual publication out of the UK called “Mushroom”.

And a one-off publication called Mushroom People.

And now it's time for the big score, And it goes to a cultivator Joey Bohler and his Black King species. Just look at that monster. Well done, Joey! Check out his website here:

https://www.valeofparadisemushrooms.com

Please support your local mushroom farmers and forays; … eating mushrooms is good for you, mostly.

That's it for this episode of the Myco Files. Thank you kindly for watching, sharing, liking, commenting, living, breathing, and foraging. Extra special thanks to those who dig their shit pits deep enough.

I'm Hamilton Pevec, signing off.

Ep. 3

Welcome back to the Myco Files, I'm Hamilton Pevec. Thank you for watching, sharing, and commenting. Tickle that like button and gently caress the pulsing red subscribe button. I have fragmented the first two episodes for your sharing convenience. No longer must you watch an entire 10 minutes of content because who has time for that? And here are some top stories from the world of mycology:

In panspermia news, fungi-like shapes have been found on Mars. This was a thing for a hot minute, but whatever happened with that? And what's the truth about these photos? Quick to the draw, mycology tries to take credit for the first extraterrestrial life found on the Red Planet in a paper titled "Evidence of Life on Mars," co-authored by Regina Dass. However, a ScienceAlert.com article by Carly Cassella tells a different story. Instead of mushrooms, NASA calls them "blueberries." But unlike the authors of this new paper, no one at the space agency actually thinks these tiny spheres are a sign of life. In 2004, the Opportunity Rover discovered millions of these "blueberries," and upon analysis, they were determined to be composed of iron oxide hematite. Co-author of the controversial paper, Ragina Dass, a mycologist at Pondicherry University in India, says, "We admit we don't have a smoking gun. No photos of cells or cellular structure. There is no definitive proof. Only a lot of evidence which shouts biology." However, shouting "biology," no matter how loudly, does not make it so. Now, let's go to the field to check in with our forest correspondent.

What we're looking at here is Boletus edulis, also known as the king bolete. This is an absolutely beautiful specimen. Very excited to find this, particularly in this area which is heavily populated with other mushroom hunters. To find a mushroom this delicious and this sought after is quite rare in this kind of place. There's a particular kind of mushroom hunter that's associated with this kind of mushroom, which is called the boletivores. When you have your bolete spot, you've got to look out for boletivores. Another couple of interesting things about Boletus edulis is that this mushroom accumulates gold inside of it. It also contains quite a lot of selenium, which is a mineral very difficult to find in other foods. In the Rocky Mountains, it often grows with Amanita muscaria. These two mushrooms are found together quite frequently. This is basically one of the most coveted mushrooms.

Welcome back. Thank you for that report. For two episodes, I thought you would never see that beautiful bolete. It is time for a follow-up in medicinal mushroom news. Following up on a report I did in episode one of the Myco Files on the Hericium erinaceus' nootropic compounds found in both the mycelium and the fruit body. It has recently come to my attention that the research done on the mycelium was not done on myceliated grain. The data was collected from a pure liquid mycelium ferment. So, what's the difference to the consumer of mushroom extracts? The difference is, to use a scientific term, ginormous because there are no pure fermented mycelium liquid Hericium products on the market. However, there are myceliated grain extracts, lots of them. I apologize for the confusion and hope that you can forgive me. This is an important time to remember that science is a self-correcting system. We only know what we know until we know more, but what we don't know is always much more than what we do know. To err on the side of caution, I recommend only using whole fruit body extracts until we know more.

In a new study released in June 2021 titled "Psilocybin Induces Rapid and Persistent Growth of Dendritic Spines in Frontal Cortex In Vivo" by Ling-Xiao Shao Show et alia. "Shao found that a single dose of psilocybin led to 10 percent increases in spine size and density, driven by an elevated spine formation rate. The structural remodeling occurred quickly, within 24 hours, and was persistent one month later. Psilocybin also ameliorated stress-related behavioral deficits and elevated excitatory neurotransmission. Overall, the results demonstrate that psilocybin-evoked synaptic rewiring in the cortex is fast and enduring, potentially providing a structural trace for long-term integration of experiences and lasting beneficial actions." In short, this is the tip of a data iceberg that is slowly revealing how beneficial psilocybin is for our brains.

In mycology economics news, a 2020 article on Bloomberg.com by Suzanne Woolley reports that Compass Pathways LLC has patented synthetic psilocybin used for treatment-resistant depression. The company's shares jumped 71 percent to $29 in New York after the initial public offering of 7.5 million shares, priced at $17 each. At current prices, Compass Pathways' thirty-four million shares outstanding are worth almost $1 billion. No surprise there, someone made money selling drugs.

In other economics news, Paul Stamets, creator of Fungi Perfecti, allows seven patents to expire, hoping that someone else can bring these fungi-based pesticides to market. "They are very disruptive to the chemical industry," says Paul Stamets. That leaves 18 patents still standing and 20 patents pending for mycologist Paul Stamets.

And now, a short message from our sponsor.

Welcome back. In foraging news, I will join the media brood as I report on the cicada emergence. In a May 20, 2021 article in SmithsonianMag.com by Teresa Machemer, a zombie fungus isn't going after the bugs' brains, it's going after their genitals. This white chunky fungus, called Massospora, infects about five percent of the cicadas. It takes over their bodies and produces cathinone, an amphetamine that makes the bugs mate even more. Massospora also contains psilocybin, the classic hallucinogen found in a variety of different fungus species. Massospora fungus lurks in the soil until the cicadas emerge from the ground. Mycologist Matt Kasson tells Coral Murphy Marcos at The Guardian, "When the cicada nymphs emerge from underground, some ingest the fungus, and the fungus is activated by a hormone from the cicada. Once inside, the Massospora consumes the inside of the cicada and grows it until it cracks through the bug's exoskeleton. Their genitals fall off and get replaced by a big white ball of spores." The fungus has a special effect on male cicadas. Massospora-filled males continue to sing to attract female mates, but they also perform the same wing flicking that females do to attract males. "It's this gender-bending death zombie fungus," says John Lill, who studies cicadas at George Washington University to Jon Webb at the Evansville Courier & Press. Simply put, these cicadas are jacked up on speed, tripping balls, and having sex with everyone, only so the Massospora can rain their spore-filled, crumbling butts onto everyone else. So, you may be asking, "Why is this foraging news?" Some people eat them. So, if you are looking for a hallucinogen-filled insect sex party, head out east. The cicadas are waiting.

In applied mycology news, a Popular Mechanics article by Caroline Delbert reveals that scientists have discovered that a long-time fungal resident of Chernobyl could actually eat radiation. Scientists have known about this fungus and similar extremophile organisms that can thrive on radiation since at least 2007. The publication Nature said the variety found in Chernobyl can decompose radioactive materials, such as hot graphite in the remains of the Chernobyl reactor. The fungus grows toward the hottest and most radioactive places, like phototropism but for deadly toxins. How can this fungus process radiation in this way? Because it has tons of very dark melanin pigment that absorbs the radiation and processes it in a harmless way to produce energy. Scientists believe this mechanism could be used to make biomimicking substances that both block radiation from penetrating and turn it into a renewable energy source. All I can say is cool. I hope there are people working on how to turn radioactive isotope-eating mushrooms into electric power plants.

On the internet, no mushroom story is complete without a troll. The Myco Files acquired its first troll with the comment "Not again!" upon the release of the second episode. Congratulations, troll, your certificate of achievement will be sent under your bridge.

In Mushroom News, Fungi Magazine is going online. Executive Director Britt A. Bunyard announced on The Mushroom Hour podcast that the print-only magazine is now online. No snide remarks on this; it just makes me enormously happy. Don't worry, for all you tactile, hold-in-your-hands loving people, the print version will continue. Get your past issues bundle for fifty bucks before you can't.

Don't forget to support your local mushroom farmers, festivals, and forays. The Telluride Mushroom Festival 2021 is back and in-person August 18 through the 22nd. Get your tickets here.

For all your content creators, The Fungi Film Fest 2021 is back, and the submission deadline is August 31st. Get more info here.

Now, if you made it this far into the episode, thank you for watching. You are a rare and precious gift to humanity. I love you. This has been the Myco Files, and I'm Hamilton Pevec, signing off.

Ep. 2

Hamilton: Welcome to the Myco Files, I'm Hamilton Pevec. Please click the ‘Subscribe’ button and like and comment to validate my existence. To ‘cut’ or ‘pluck’ has been a debate for what feels like centuries. Wholehearted vitriol has been expressed on both sides of this endless debate. And tonight, we will end the discussion until some noob reignites the fire. Underneath that simple question lies a bigger, darker one for mycophiles to ask, “Is collecting mushrooms sustainable in 2012?” Fungi Magazine Volume 5:1, The Spring Issue, an article titled, “Agaricidal Tendencies: Settling the Debate over Cutting versus Picking and the Sustainability of Wild Mushroom Collecting,” Author Britt A. Bunyard lays the debate to rest: “Turns out that it doesn't much matter.” Since its inception in 1986, the Cantharellus Project has surveyed 10 plots of chanterelle mushrooms growing in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon. The Cantharellus Project collects statistics on plots that are harvested by cutting out mushrooms with a knife and plots harvested solely by pulling the mushrooms from the soil. Turns out that in the cut plots, yields have decreased, but only very slightly over time. In plots harvested by simply pulling out the mushrooms, yields have actually gone up during the twenty-five years of this study.

A 2006 study authored by Simon Egli et alia, simply referred to as "The Swiss Study.” The researchers involved in the Swiss Study said cutting with a knife may do more harm than good because it leaves a severed stump of the mushroom, which can become a site of infection by pathogens of mushrooms like bacteria and other fungi. Research has shown that as with nearly all other wildlife, the most serious threat to mushrooms and other fungi comes from habitat loss, i.e., humans. As a caveat to this story, it's important to mention that the Cantharellus Project did some amazing science as part of the study. Every single chanterelle mushroom is harvested across 10 different patches from 1986 to 1997. Each mushroom’s position within the plot was recorded, and all specimens were dried out and kept for future research. That is a shameful amount of uneaten chanterelles and some super hardcore sciencing. Excellent use of willpower. Go team.

Now let's check in with our forest correspondent: Come on, man, open your eyes. It's right there in applied mycology news. Death is looking better. If you choose to be buried, then it is likely your body will be crushed by soil and eaten by mushrooms, insects, worms, and other organisms. But now we can take pleasure in knowing that the mushrooms will get the biggest bite. Enter the loop coffin. This myceliated wood coffin is grown in a lab in seven days and decomposes in the soil in two months. It's made with mushrooms that will break you down and transmute your rotting, toxic body and ultimately make you one with the Earth. Now you can rest easy knowing that in death, you are better for the planet.

Speaking of death meat. In a TechCrunch article by Jonathan Sheiber from 2021, a $28 million startup called Meati is offering mycelium-based meat as a healthier alternative to traditional meats. So why do meat alternatives matter? Industrialized meat is unsustainable. Period. However, environmental impacts alone are not enough to change the meat lover's mind or their taste for flesh. As a former meat eater myself, I am the target demographic for this product. I like the taste of meat, but can't stomach the guilt. The question remains, Is it delicious? I don't know. I've never eaten it, but I have already decided it will be amazing. We're going to take a short break for a message from our sponsor. We'll be back before Trichoderma pubescens sets in. 

Welcome back. Let's check in with my past self to give you the stories that were cut for time. 

Back to you, Hamilton.

Diddly do, another hot button issue that has been resolved. Agaritine won't kill you. Agaritine is a carcinogen found in many Agaricus mushrooms, including neighboring genera, Leucoagaricus and Lepiota. A 2010 study concluded agaritine causes tumors in mice under laboratory conditions. However, these mice were fed unrealistic amounts of a purified synthetic compound. This 2010 study only increased the rumors that agaritine is dangerous and bad for our health. More rumors emerged of a portobello mafia controlling the market and information. All these rumors have cast a shadow over this pervasive fungus. In Fungi Magazine, Volume 14, Britt A. Bunyard reports that although agaritines are carcinogenic, "the available evidence to date suggests that agaritine from consumption of cultivated mushrooms poses no known toxicological risk to healthy humans," as long as you're not eating massive amounts of raw mushrooms every day over a lifetime. Hmm. According to the article, very low levels of agaritine were found in cooked, canned, baked, and dried food products. I quote, "In short, mushroom and synthetic agaritine are not the same thing. Additionally, mice are not humans. Really, one big difference between the two mammals is that of stomach chemistry. The mouse has a pH of 5, while in humans, it is 2. Too many of the previously cited studies say that in addition, agaritine breaking down in the presence of ambient levels of oxygen, agaritine also quickly breaks down under acidic conditions. But it's still good to do due diligence and cook your mushrooms thoroughly. Always. It looks like the white button mafia is not out to get you for poo-pooing portobello."

Diddly doo? Well done, Hamilton. Nice hair.

In Medicinal Mushroom News, A 2017 study titled "Evaluation on Quality and Consistency of Ganoderma Lucidum Dietary Supplements Collected in the United States" by Ding-Tao Wu et alia. In this study, 19 batches of reishi products purchased in the United States were evaluated based on their bioactive components, including triterpenes and polysaccharides, by using chromatographic methods and saturation mapping. The results showed that the measured ingredients of only five tested samples were in accordance with their labels, which suggested the quality of Ganoderma lucidum dietary supplements in the US market is very poor, and stricter quality controls need to be put into place. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is a simple and rapid technique for the routine quality control, which provides picture-like chromatograms with special colors. The results showed that HPTLC fingerprints of triterpenes and G. lucidum in dietary supplements produced by different manufacturers were remarkably different, and triterpenes closely related to G. lucidum were only detected in eight of the 19 products tested. Simply put, seventy-four percent of reishi products use false advertising, and at most, only 42 percent of the reishi on the market is reishi. And that was in 2017, with hundreds of new brands available now in 2021. One can only imagine the mountain of shit on the market. Let's go back to see if my past self has anything more to say.

Hamilton:

According to a 2014 CEFA study by Daniel J. Royse et alia, over 30 billion kilos of mushrooms were produced in China in 2013. This accounted for 87 percent of total production. The North American mushroom market accounted for $1.85 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a rate of 7.7 percent over the next decade. Nammex, the Canadian-owned and China-based wholesaler of mushrooms and mushroom extracts, recently invested $25 million in a new extraction facility in China, estimated to produce 25 tons of extracts a month. Nammex CEO Jeff Chilton says, "In the last two years, our sales have grown 80 percent each year." He went on to say, with a nod to COVID-19, "back in March, some of our products sold out within a week, and this whole year we've been backordered." Reinforcing the conventional wisdom that pandemics are good for mushroom business.

Diddly do, on the Internet of Mushrooms, an important look-alike has been identified as Prince Harry, not to be confused with the mycologist, Alan Rockefeller. They may be in the same kingdom, phylum, class, order, suborder, infraorder, family, subfamily, tribe, genus, and species. But they are different people. Edible, but not recommended. Now it's time for the big score. Since no one sent in a big score, it seems the news for me is that the social part of social media is hard. That being said, have a look at my daughter with these giant mushrooms. Please send in your big score to help me save face. This is the Myco Files. I'm Hamilton Pevec, signing off. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding-a-ling.

Ep. 1

Hamilton: Welcome to the Myco Files, I'm Hamilton Pevec, and here's the latest from the world of mycology. In a recent presentation at the Medicinal Mushroom Symposium, herbalist and author, Robert Rogers, targets the myceliated grain versus fruit body debate. He spoke specifically about the genus Hericium, also known as Lion's Mane. Lion's Mane is rapidly growing in popularity because of its unique active compounds. These compounds replicate nerve growth factor, prevent and destroy amyloid plaque buildup, and promote neuroplasticity. Basically, it's brain food and only found in one place. The set of active compounds known as erinacines are found in higher concentrations in the mycelium. However, the other set of active compounds known as hericenones are found in greater concentrations in the fruit body. Both compounds cross the blood-brain barrier, but once the mycelium produces a fruit body, the erinacines leave the mycelium and enter the fruit body. Rogers concluded that both the fruit body and mycelium have medicinal efficacy. It appears you can either run the mycelium or grow the fruit body, but you can't have your BRF cake and eat it too. Rogers went on to say that he suspects a blended extract of myceliated grain and fruit body would be ideal for the genus Hericium. This is just one small part of a much wider debate involving all functional mushrooms. Future research will help sort things out not only for the consumer but for all the mushroom geeks arguing over this. Let's go to the field and check in with our forest correspondent.

Hamilton: Thank you. Everything's looking good out there, better than in here in cultivation news. A 2019 study from Critical Reviews in Biotechnology called, “A Breakthrough in the Artificial Cultivation of Chinese Cordyceps on a Large-Scale and Its Impact on Science, the Economy, and Industry,” authored by Xiao Li et alia. Ophiocordyceps sinensis or “yarsagumba” or “Dong Cong Xia Cao” is often called the most valuable mushroom on the planet. Although the fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis can grow on artificial substrates, and the ghost moth has been successfully reared, the large-scale artificial cultivation of Ophiocordyceps sinensis has only recently been accomplished after several decades of efforts and attempts. But are they as potent as the wild-crafted variety? The study states that there was no difference in the chemical components detected between the cultivated and natural cordyceps. However, the artificial cultivation system can be controlled to avoid heavy metal contamination and results in higher quality products. The success of the artificial cultivation of Ophiocordyceps is clearly a milestone and provides the possibility for research on the in-depth mechanisms of the interaction between the fungus and the host insects and their adaptation to harsh habitats. This cultivation will not only result in a large industry to alleviate the pressure of human demand but also protect the limited natural resources for sustainable utilization. This new tech has many implications for the locals who depend on O. Sinensis. As a natural resource, wild-crafted cordyceps used to make up 26 percent of the Tibetan plateau's GDP. However, it is being overharvested, and with climate change raising the ambient temperature one degree Celsius, the temperature rise is already affecting the economy. The new cultivation tech has a major downside. It takes 500 days to grow and mature fruit body in the lab. For a more in-depth look at the cultural implication of this tech, check out my documentary film: Suklal's Hunt.

We'll be keeping track of this issue, so stay tuned for updates. Now, let's talk about the weather. I hope it's raining somewhere because it sure isn't raining here. And if it is raining where you are, wait at least a day before you check your spots. And in case you're wondering, yes. Lightning strikes help Lentinula edodes flush bigger and more often. In applied mycology news: mycelium-based leather is finally hitting the mainstream, with Adidas releasing a line of shoes. Adidas has partnered with Bolt Threads to gain access to their trademarked Mylo, a mycelium-based fabric that looks and feels like leather. A new startup called Micro Cycle is reducing landfill waste by using mycelium to convert waste streams into resource streams. The company claims they can turn your toxic waste into nontoxic, reusable materials. This process is called mycoremediation. In this sample, Myco Cycle's head mycologist, Peter McCoy, ran oyster mycelium on asphalt material, proving once again that oyster mushrooms will eat anything it seems. Applied Mycology is going to save us from ourselves. Now, let's take a short break for a message from our sponsor.

We'll be back before you can say Phaeolus schweinitzii.

In other medicinal mushroom news, ABC Channel 10 reports, UC San Diego launches a first-of-its-kind human clinical trial. The study is using Turkey Tail and Agarikon to help fight COVID-19. Agarikon, also known as Fomitopsis officinalis, is a rare and precious polypore that grows only on old-growth Douglas Firs. Turkey Tail, also known as Trametes versicolor, is a widely studied medicinal mushroom with many uses. The principal investigator, Dr. Gordon Sachs says, “We think mushrooms may have the ability to reduce the severity of COVID.” Sachs is a preventive and integrative medicine physician who leads the Center for Integrative Research at UCSD. Paul Stamets is also a collaborator on the study, and he says in lab tests, agarikon has shown strong antiviral activity against drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis, along with swine flu, bird flu, cowpox, and herpes viruses. In some experiments, compounds in agarikon were 10 times more potent against flu viruses than the pharmaceutical Ribavirin. Dr. Sachs is now recruiting 132 volunteers recently diagnosed with COVID-19 for the double-blind controlled study at UCSD and UCLA. Volunteers will take capsules of mushroom powder or a placebo three times a day for up to two weeks. Participants will be compensated $250, raising the question, “Is it worth it?” Other studies are already in the works. Dr. Sachs is planning to launch a second FDA-authorized study as early as May to explore whether taking mushrooms can stimulate a stronger response to the COVID-19 vaccines. To be fair, the news is not that this is happening, only that it took this long to happen on the interwebs of online mycology and all things mushrooms.

There is no surprise that the internet continues to wonder, “Is this chaga? And should I boof it?” In foraging and wild ID news for mushroom hunters, the word spring is short for Morchella in the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. Don't even bother morel hunting until the narrow-leaf cottonwoods have shown some green and the lilacs are blooming, but only if it rained three days of the week and not on a Thursday. It's a short season, so be ready when the rain comes.

Medicalexpress.com reports that Australians are being warned not to pick mushrooms at all because of a bumper flush of Amanita phalloides, also known as the Death Cap. A good reminder that if you aren't 100 percent sure of what you have foraged, then don't eat it. It is unfair to say don't go mushroom hunting because there is one that will kill you. That's like saying don't swim because someone once drowned in water. Come on, Australia. The stereotype is that everything wants to kill you down there. Don't let mushrooms join the ranks of reasons not to go there. On the other hand, for the experienced Australian mushroom hunters, this is going to be a great year with little competition in popular areas. Good luck out there. If you want to forage, go mushroom hunting with someone who knows how to use an ID book and has some experience, but don't think they will show you their spots.

Now it's time for the big score. I'm going to kick off this regular segment by sharing Devika Gurung’s photo of this epic bird morel score. You can follow her on Instagram @himalayan_yogini and check out her website at https://himalayanyogini.com. Full disclosure: She's my wife. Good job, dear. When picking mushrooms in the wild, remember to use sustainable wild harvesting practices. Thank you for joining me in the Myco Files. Don't forget to subscribe, share, and comment. Send me your big scores and big scoops in the world of mycology. I'm Hamilton Pevec, signing off.