Engineers are rewiring fungi to grow medicine and materials
Hill RA
Mycorrhizal Networks
The mushrooms popping up in your mulch and the mold on your compost pile belong to a group of organisms scientists are now redesigning to break down plastic, grow packaging, and clean contaminated soil.
Filamentous fungi are the thread-like molds and fungi that show up in soil, compost, and rotting wood. Researchers are now using synthetic biology, essentially precise genetic editing, to unlock new abilities in these fungi, like producing medicines, building biodegradable materials, or soaking up pollutants from contaminated ground. This review pulls together where that science stands and where it's headed next, including new tools like 3D printing fungal material and cell-free lab systems.
Key Findings
Filamentous fungi are being engineered via synthetic biology for expanded roles in food, medicine, materials science, and bioremediation.
Advances in genetic sequencing and computing are accelerating the discovery and harnessing of unique fungal traits across species.
Emerging technologies like 3D printing and cell-free systems are identified as key developments shaping the field's future direction.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists are using genetic engineering tools to reprogram mold and mushroom-forming fungi, turning them into factories for medicine, sustainable materials, and pollution cleanup.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Filamentous fungal synthetic biology: Current applications and ongoing developments.
Filamentous fungi have played an undeniable role in the biosphere for hundreds of millions of years and, for humans, have increasingly been developed as sources of food, medicine and other resource...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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