There Is Fungus Among Us
And there always has been. How bioentreprenuers can learn from the microbe that literally built our planet.
It is not an overstatement to claim fungi are the foundation of everything. Humans have been intimately linked with fungal cohabitants for our entire history though we routinely underappreciated this kingdom of life’s impact. They are literally under (and on) our feet and provide much of what we consume (the obvious edible mushrooms, but also bread, beer, wine and blue & brie cheese). On the other hand, fungi can cause serious problems, they cause disease and have sparked famine and mass migrations. Infections such as athletes’ foot, Histoplasmosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia, Candidiasis, and ringworm can be notoriously difficult to treat if left to fester. The Irish potato famine of 1845 is purported to have been caused by Phytophthora infestans and, more mundanely, all of us battle with mold and mildew in our living spaces.
Our living space on this planet, the terrestrial ecosystem is believed to have been initially colonized by fungi. They created soil by breaking down rock and engaging symbiotically with plants to convert Earth’s atmosphere to an aerobic (oxygen-containing) environment. This made the planet suitable for Darwinistically “weaker” organisms like humans, so we owe much to these microbes; which are the most closely related phylogenetic kingdom to our own. Near and dear to Prime Movers Lab’s heart are space technologies; NASA supports fungal research in space and Japan-based Sapporo brewed Space Beer, though it was the barley not the yeast that spent 5 months on the International Space Station, which is incidentally also inhabited by a range of fungi. Could these microbes form the basis for terraforming Mars? The recent discovery of radiotrophic fungi certainly makes one wonder.
Fungi are incredibly powerful commercial engines and foundational to our economies. Few industries that can claim the size, breadth and longevity of alcoholic beverages or bread, all predicated on the massive production capacity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the singular cellular fungus commonly known as yeast. The discovery in 1928 by Alexander Fleming of the bactericidal nature of Penicillium rubens revolutionized human healthcare, spawned the multi-billion-dollar antibiotic industry and earned Fleming a Nobel Prize in 1945. Contemplating or accurately calculating the economic impact and jobs created by these microbes is a daunting, if not impossible, exercise — one Academic estimates that of just S. cerevisiae at $900 billion a year. As we embark into the Biotech Century, it is certain that fungal based innovations and the entrepreneurs advancing them will have a significant impact on our future. Just a few spotlights where this is already happening are touched on below.
Manufacturing and materials. Achieving scale to impact these sectors can be difficult, but the rapid growth rate of fungi provides an advantage to be harnessed. MycoWorks, Inc. is a San Francisco Bay Area based startup developing leather alternatives and other products and is one of many in the “circular economy” trying to replace industrial manufacturing processes with sustainable bio-based ones. Interestingly, the Ford subsidiary, Ford Global Tech, LLC owns about 19% of the patents in this space, demonstrating interest from established players. Ecovative Designs created building materials out of mycelium and built the 13 meter tall “Hy-Fi” at the MoMA in New York in 2014. Pascal Leboucq in collaboration with Grown.bio built the “Growing Pavilion” that in addition to a very unique aesthetic, purifies the air within the structure for free — smurf house anyone? Myco warrior Paul Stamets has created multiple products, including a fungal based precision ant control product, Stamets 7Ⓡ, to protect homes in an eco-friendly manner. The existence of carnivorous “nematode trapping fungi,” suggest this type of pest control could be broadened. Our ancestors lived in collaboration with fungi, perhaps it is time we return to this more ecologically sustainable paradigm?
Bioremediation and carbon capture. The diversity in biochemical capacity and environmental adaptability of fungi is only rivaled by the bacteria, which struggle to achieve the scale of fungi; said simply they can live almost anywhere and off almost anything. Mucor hiemalis can detoxify various waste streams and concentrate heavy metals effectively turning waste into products. Spogen Biotech, inc. (DBA Environmental Enzymes) is a Saint Louis based startup that holds some M. hiemalis based patents and is commercializing a range of products, including bioremediation. Soil Carbon Co. uses University of Sydney based research and endophytic fungi to sequester carbon with a product vision similar to Flagship Pioneering’s unicorn Indigo Ag.
The largest organism on the planet is a 2,400 year old fungi, Armillaria ostoyae or honey fungus, found in the Malheur National Forest in Oregon weighing in at over 7,500 tonnes. Consider the mass of carbon that fungus must have sequestered! Couple that with building materials to replace, for example, the highly-carbon-emitting concrete and you have an environmental double whammy — yeah, people are already working on that using Trichoderma reesei. With their rapid growth rates, tolerance to environmental extremes, and sheer ability to scale, fungi could be the solution to our environmental crises. Fungi have terraformed Earth and modified our atmosphere before thus it would be naïve to think they couldn’t do it again. The question is will that be while or after humans inhabit this planet?
Biotech, cosmetics, food and healthcare. This is an incredibly broad grouping, but so also highlights the huge range of potential uses for fungi. In fact, these industries began on the backs of fungi centuries ago. The expanse of current and future opportunities cannot be appropriately captured here so just a few exciting examples. Coming from Prof. Christian Smolke’s research at Stanford, Bay Area startup Antheia, Inc. uses genetically engineered yeast to produce medically relevant compounds. Also in the Bay Area and incubated in IndieBio, Michroma is a developing novel natural ingredients for the food and cosmetics industry using mycelium. IndieBio cofounder, Ryan Bethencourt, is the founder and CEO of Wild Earth, Inc. Financed by Mark Cuban, Wild Earth sells vegan pet food produced using fungi. Meati Foods is a Boulder, CO based startup doing similar for us humans.
Mushrooms that humans have been eating for centuries, including Lions Mane, Chaga an Cordyceps have all been shown recently through clinical work to have medicinal properties. Lions Mane in particular is being studied for the prevention/reversal of cognitive decline. Finally, species of fungi within the Psilocybe genus have been used as spiritual medicines by humans for millennia and have massive potential for treatment of a range of diseases and psychological disorders. We will delve further into the properties of these “magical” mushrooms in upcoming blog posts and webinars.
Fungi predated humans on this planet, they will be here after we’re gone and with us wherever we go. In the near future, our underappreciated brethren will disrupt industries and create massive value for society. At PML we are very much looking forward to working with the entrepreneurs behind these.
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in early-stage companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
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