Detecting infected maize early can help prevent contaminated crops from entering the food chain, and also reduce the risk of throat cancer linked to the consumption of infected maize products. In a recent study a specialised camera was used to produce chemical images of maize kernels infected with fungi that pose a threat to human and animal health. Through a process called … [Read more...]
Saving the world with mushrooms
There are many ways in which mycelium fungus can help save the universe: cleaning polluted soil, making insecticides, treating smallpox and even flu. Entrepreneurial mycologist Paul Stamets seeks to rescue the study of mushrooms from forest gourmets and psychedelic warlords. The focus of Stamets' research is the Northwest's native fungal genome, mycelium, but along the way … [Read more...]
