Mycomining heavy metal ⚒

Hi there 🍄 

This week’s highlights include mushroom mining, the potential health benefits of king oyster mushrooms, and our top tips on identifying true morel mushrooms.

Go go mycominers! ⛏

Mushroom sustainability ♻ Mycomining is an often-overlooked alternative to traditional mining that harnesses the ability of specific fungi to extract valuable — and toxic — metals and minerals from soil.

• Nom nom nom 🍄Fungi use enzymes to break down complex organic molecules into usable components. Some species take it to the next level and break down more harmful molecules — think pesticides, oil spills, dyes, and even radioactive pollution.

• Super extractors 💪 Mycominers use these fungal bioaccumulators to reclaim metals from toxic waste sites that would otherwise create an ecological risk.

• What a life ☢As the fungi grow, specialized proteins bind with the broken-down metals in the soil. After absorbing the toxic materials into their cells, the fungi can manage and survive substantial amounts of metal accumulation.

• Heavy metal 🤘All this biomass is incinerated or leached to dissolve and separate organic matter from the metals, which go on to further refinement.

• Twofold effect 💫What we’re left with is purified metal that can be repurposed for industrial applications. With organic biomass as the only waste product, mycomining gives us a sustainable alternative to conventional mining by remediating tainted soil.

Get the full scoop here 👈

It’s good to be king 👑

Diet shrooms🍴King oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii) have the potential to regulate obesity, according to the latest research. A recent study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Department of Food Science showed that mice on a high-fat diet saw notable health improvements when king oyster mushrooms were added to the mix.

• Global scale 🌏With over 1.9 billion overweight adults worldwide, research into novel weight management methods may help us combat the combined crises of diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and other weight-related illnesses.

• Benefits across the board ✔ Compared to a control group, the mice who ate king oysters gained less weight, had better glucose tolerance, had healthier liver markers, and improved lipid profiles.

• Healthy microorganisms 🦠The mushrooms even helped balance out the gut biome, which is critical for regulating body weight and metabolism.

• Remember ❗While these primary results in mice are promising, further research is necessary to see whether king oysters provide the same weight management benefits for humans.

• Crown jewels 🦪 Either way, king oysters are one of the most popular edible mushrooms for a reason. Their meaty texture and seafood-like flavor are a tasty way to incorporate more whole foods into one’s diet. Read more here 👀

Friend or foe 🤨

‘Tis the season 🔍Rich, earthy, nutty … nothing beats a morel! With morel foraging season in full swing, it’s time for a refresher on how to pick true morels — not their poisonous look-alikes.

• Quick tips ⌚Real morels have a distinct honeycomb-like structure on the cap. Also, the cap should be completely attached to the stem as one complete structure.

• Slice it up 🗡 Cut the morel lengthwise from cap to stem… it should be hollow inside.

• Fresh prints 👣 Morels will leave a cream to light-yellow spore print. To take a spore print, place the morel’s fruiting body on dark paper or aluminum foil and cover it for 6 to 12 hours. Spore prints are always a handy way to double-check your mushroom identification.

• Trailblazers 🔥 Want to know where to find morels? Follow the wildfires: Morels love the nutrient-rich ash left behind from fires, helping the forests regrow and regenerate. Mushroom hunters will often map out wildfire sites to check the following spring for fresh morels.

• Major key 🗝Always verify every mushroom you forage. If you’re not 100% sure of the mushroom you picked up, don’t take the chance.

• Doppelgangers 😲 Don’t get tricked by morel look-alikes! Click here to check out the mushrooms most often confused for morels.