This is an article I wrote in collaboration with Valley DAO, you can find the official publication here

Mycoremediation, a largely unexplored realm within the broader field of bioremediation, presents an intriguing solution for reversing the impacts of pollution. However, it raises the question – if this solution truly is a viable one, why hasn’t it achieved commercial success and mainstream uptake? As we’re on a mission to solve climate challenges using biology, we’ve written this article to spotlight both the potential and challenges involved in bringing Mycoremediation to the mainstream.

Mycoremediation involves the application of fungal-based remediation techniques to detoxify the environment. Approximately four years ago, I embarked on a journey that would end up opening my eyes to this captivating world. And it all began with my fascination for cultivating psychedelic mushrooms. Crafting the medium and witnessing the growth of these unique organisms was an enlightening experience; and over the last four years, I came to realise that the world of fungi is far more complex and promising than I ever imagined.

My first eye-opener to this was the work of Evocative – who are using mycelium to create sustainable packaging materials. Yet it left me wondering why these innovative products weren’t widely adopted, considering they clearly present a more eco-friendly alternative to current standards.

My journey through the fascinating world of Mycoremediation through interviewing various scientist, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts revealed a harsh reality. Cleaner, sustainable solutions often struggle to gain popularity because they’re simply not lucrative. The field of Mycoremediation stands as testament to the saying that “money talks”, in that these mushrooms can barely raise their voice to cry for help.

Having immersed myself in the field of Decentralised Science (DeSci) for nearly three years, I was thus intrigued when ValleyDAO expressed an interest in exploring Mycoremediation. Together, we concluded the first step should be to uncover just what was going on, and whether the same questions and concerns that I had were shared by others.

My first dive into the science of it brought me to the fascinating work being done around Neurospora crassa, a heat-activated fungus often found in the aftermath of forest fires. What makes fungi like Neurospora crassa so remarkable is their adaptability – and their potential to transform how we address environmental pollution. Some lab groups are currently exploring novel ways to create meat alternatives using N. crassa; which would be rich in both protein and fibre, as well as free from cholesterol. If pollutants were metabolised as part of the growth of N. crassa, this would therefore convert polluting waste products into nutritious food products.

Yet there are many issues hindering the widespread adoption of Mycoremediation. There is a common perception that environmental stewardship is solely a governmental responsibility; limiting private sector, or even individual, involvement. Not to mention there is an absence of a strong and clear return on investment.

Increasing adoption of Mycoremediation is not something that can be achieved then through undercutting current processes. Instead, it will likely have to start with awareness through connecting scientific research to marketable products. One idea that floated up during my investigations was to first identify key environmental issues – or at least, issues that resonate most with environmentally-conscious individuals. Having done so, it would then be a matter of identifying the right fungi and the right ways to modify them in order to address these problems. But only through collaborative effort across all stakeholders – farmers, researchers, investors and product development teams – would we be able to create such sustainable solutions.

Yet the journey of turning Mycoremediation into a global solution is still in its early stages. The potential is vast, and the road filled with challenges – but from what I’ve seen, the passion to bring about this eco-friendly solution remains undeterred.

That said, there were an even greater set of challenges that I uncovered, beyond the slow adoption rate. Mycoremediation often faces hurdles due to a lack of robust, peer-reviewed evidence, owing in part to a lack of institutional support. Still, it’s undeniable that Mycoremediation holds a real potential to play a vital role in environmental restoration; but such a journey will be marked by challenges that can only be surmounted through increasing awareness. We welcome all mushroom (and mushroom-adjacent!) enthusiasts to our community to help figure out how to solve these challenges, together.