How Fungi might Colonize Mars
Fungi Friday's - May 17th - Issue #105
Hey Fungi Fam,
Welcome back to the 105th edition of Fungi Fridays! Hope everyone had a wonderful week… I know mine has been incredibly busy and I am oh so excited for the weekend, which is so close to being here. We have some fun stories for you this week, featuring a few topics that I don’t think we’ve ever covered in this publication… but that’s the cool thing about fungi — we’re always coming up with new use cases for them! So let’s get into it.
In today’s email:
Mapping RNA to fungal genomes to better understand the forest
How fungi might play a role in colonizing Mars
The synergy between psychedelics and yoga
Iowa Fungi’s Update of the Week
Well, we had yet another setback last week, but only a minor one this time. Humidifier fan crapped out on us, but it’s since been replaced. Once we replaced the fan, humidity picked back up, so hopefully this week we’ll see some growth finally sprouting!
While down on the farm last weekend, we also prepped the third crop of 2024, so that’ll be good to check in on during the visit this week. And crop 2 should be just about ready for fruiting as well. We’re fully entrenched in the growing season as this point, so just need to figure out the right variables now, and hopefully soon we’ll have some high-quality mushrooms. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait another week to know, but sometimes that’s how it goes. The good thing is, I fully believe it’s only a matter of time!
Scientists map soil RNA to fungal genomes to understand forest ecosystems
Forests are like hidden cities, teeming with life not just above ground, but beneath it too. Scientists are now shining a light on this secret fungal underworld with a groundbreaking technique. Forget sifting through dirt, this research is all about mapping the hidden messages left behind by fungi in the soil – their RNA!
Think of RNA as a to-do list for the fungi, revealing what functions they're busy executing. By mapping this fungal RNA onto known fungi genomes, scientists can finally identify the types of fungi hanging out in the forest and what they're up to. This is a game-changer, unveiling the secret partnerships between fungi and trees that keep the forest ecosystem healthy and thriving.
And here's the kicker: this isn't some small-scale study. We're talking a terabase of data – that's a TRILLION pieces of information! This massive analysis gives scientists the clearest picture yet of how different fungi work together with trees, creating a complex web of life that sustains the entire forest. So next time you're walking through the woods, remember – there's a whole hidden fungal hustle happening beneath your feet!
Psychedelic Spotlight
Lululemon Scion JJ Wilson Plots to Make Psychedelic Drugs the New Yoga
How psilocybin potentially works to reverse the cognitive rigidity that is the hallmark of anorexia
THE BODY SCIENTIFIC: Psychedelic drugs for depression and anxiety (Part One)
How fungi and bacteria could help build habitats on Mars
Buckle up, space cowboys! Building a home on Mars might not be all about metal and robots. This article is all about the funky potential of fungi and bacteria to become the Martian construction crew of the future!
Instead of lugging heavy building materials across galaxies, astronauts might bring special bacteria cultures to literally grow their Martian abodes. These bacteria would chow down and convert Martian water and carbon dioxide into oxygen, creating a breathable atmosphere – pretty cool, huh? Think of them as tiny Martian terraformers!
But that's not all! Mushrooms, or more specifically their network of threads called mycelium, could be used as a superglue to bind materials together, forming strong and lightweight building blocks. Imagine houses built from Martian resources, not shipped-in supplies. This futuristic tech could revolutionize space exploration and make Mars feel a little less, well, martian!
More Mushroom Mentions
A fungi hotspot deep in the ocean: explaining the presence of Gjaerumia minor in equatorial Pacific bathypelagic waters
Mycocycle Raises $3.6 Million to Transform Waste into Sustainable Raw Materials with Fungi
Brain connectivity maps shed light on the synergistic effects of meditation and psilocybin
Forget just "om"ing your way to zen, this research is dropping knowledge on how meditation and magic mushrooms can TAG TEAM your brain for a supercharged mental boost! Scientists used fancy brain scans to map connectivity patterns after folks chilled out with meditation and then dosed with psilocybin (the stuff in magic mushrooms).
Here's the trippy part: the combo resulted in stronger connections between brain regions than either meditation or psilocybin alone. Think of your brain as a highway system – meditation smoothes out the roads, while psilocybin opens up new routes. When you combine them, information zooms around your brain like never before!
This could be a major breakthrough for treating anxiety and depression. By understanding how meditation and psilocybin work together on a brainpower level, scientists can develop better therapies for mental health struggles. So next time you're feeling stressed, consider a meditation session with a side of magic mushroom insights – your brain might thank you for it.
That’s all, folks… but before we let you go, That’s all, folks… but before we let you go, comment below on how we can improve the publication! And if you haven’t yet, smash that SUBSCRIBE button below.
Thanks for reading as always,
BowTiedMushroom