Channel: Paul Stamets

Category: Education

Tags: myceliumforestpaul stametsmycelianarturefungimycenamushroommycology

Description: Mycena  alcalina and Mycena leptocephala are very similar, sharing the strong smell of chlorine (bleach) when crushed. When we tested specimens for chlorine, none was found. Many questions naturally come to mind. . Is this chlorine-mimicking smell attractive to certain insects that help it spread spores? Or conversely, to repel insects from predating upon them?  Why would a mushroom out-gas such a distinctive odor? Is it non-consequential? Humans have a tendency to find meaning in nature when there may be none. In my mind, at this stage in evolution, the presence of such strong chlorine-mimicking molecules is likely related to  relationships these species have that are beyond our present knowledge. . I initially thought that this species might be a good candidate for breaking down chlorine-bound toxins, like PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls). The work we did with Battelle Laboratories and New Fields (with Dr. Jack Word), revealed that many white rot fungi could decompose’ PCB’s if the PCB’s were the predominant “nutrient” in the media. However, when we inoculated PCB contaminated soil, the mycelium prefers other easy-to-digest foods. Nevertheless, a good example of epigenesis - that we could train a fungal strain to up-regulate genes to code for enzymes that have a talent for detoxifying these carcinogens.