Explore why Fungi are so fascinating and key to the planet’s existence
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Yeasts are fungi and without them there would be no bread, beer, wine, chocolate, coffee, and more. Furthermore, they are a nutritious food source, which help to strengthen the immune system.
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They are carbon reservoirs of nature, and play a vital role in the prevention of accelerated climate change. Thanks to their mutualistic relationship with trees, they receive carbon dioxide from them through the roots, which helps them grow. Thus, carbon is kept in the soil and not in the atmosphere.
3
Through decomposition they recycle all organic matter on the planet, even yours! There are fungi that even decompose plastic.
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They are excellent remediators, capable of cleaning up toxic waste such as oil or converting radiation into chemical energy for growth. There are fungi that remove copper, zinc, iron, cadmium, lead and nickel from aqueous solutions through absorption.
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Allies of human medicine. Species of the genus Psilocybe effectively treat depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The antibiotic penicillin was synthesized from the mold Penicillium chrysogenum.
We envision a healthy planet in which Fungi are recognized as the interconnectors of nature.
The Fungi Foundation is a global organization that explores Fungi to increase knowledge of their diversity, promote innovative solutions to contingent problems, educate about their existence and applications, as well as recommending public policy for their conservation.
Read more about why we started Fungi Foundation & what our vision for the future is.
Fungus of the day
This intensely purple fungus is a mycorrhizal species mainly associated with trees of the genus Nothofagus such as coihue, ñire, pellín oak and rauli. Endemic to the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina, it appears in autumn, where it is usually seen growing on the ground in large numbers in the Andean forests.