Applied Mycology

Daniel Reyes of MycoAlliance joins us in the season one finale for a discussion of his applied mycological organization and journey into the path of mycoremediation.  We move from his scientific and professional background into the story of how he started a mycology education center at Circle Acres, a capped and restored landfill site in the city of Austin, Texas.  He provides insight into how he followed Gary Lincoff’s “dedicate your life to mushrooms” advice in a measured and thoughtful way, which has led him from mostly teaching about the uses of fungi to developing mycoremediation research protocols in the Yucatan Peninsula.

While this episode will wrap up season one of Applied Mycology and we will be taking a short break over the summer months here (in the northern hemisphere), keep an eye out for special bonus content coming in the near future.

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We are joined by Olga Tzogas, the founder of Smugtown Mushrooms, for an in depth discussion taking us all the way from Rochester, NY to mountains of Greece.  Olga shares her journey of starting a community based mushroom business that has become a hub for much more than mycology, and how the cultivation of community and fungi led her to begin organizing mushroom festivals and gatherings.  She provides insights and tips into quality event organization that allows attendees to connect with nature and each other, as well as re-imagine what a healthy society could look like and take steps to create it.  Our conversation also gets into Olga's Greek roots and her experience of reconnecting with the culture through the lens of fungi, which eventually led her to host mushroom based tours of the country.

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Damon Tighe joins the show to provide a wide ranging perspective on studying fungi and the natural world in general.  From developing new genetic techniques for assessing microorganisms to DIY mushroom cultivation experiments to prolific cataloguing of the planet’s biodiversity with the iNaturalist app, Damon has advanced the knowledge of and techniques for studying the Earth’s residents on multiple fronts.  His current work focuses on outreach and improving the teaching of molecular biology techniques, so we discussed the importance of science education, good experimental design with modest research goals, training the next generation of scientists, and the importance of not getting lost in the allure of all the amazing new technology emerging in the biological sciences.  Additionally he tells us about the importance of bio-blitzes and the use of apps like iNaturalist both for advancing the ecological sciences and developing a community understanding and appreciation for them.  From leading edge molecular technology to home cultivation experiments to learning the biodiversity in your neighborhood, Damon helps shed light on ways to study and work with fungi from the complex to the highly accessible.

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Multidimensional mycologist Danielle Stevenson shares her knowledge and experience, past and present, from starting a DIY mushroom spawn business and conducting community bioremediation research to pursuing a PhD in environmental toxicology focusing on how mycorrhizal fungi regulate plant uptake of heavy metals.  We begin by discussing her current research which utilizes a mix of microscopy, genetics and chemistry to assess the functions of arbuscular mycorrhizae in different types of soil.  Danielle also talks about her journey into using fungi for managing community waste streams and we explore topics in mycoremediation, educational outreach for mycology, grassroots collaborations with academic labs and approaching science from an outsider's perspective.

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Dr. Lauren Czaplicki joins us for a conversation about her PhD research exploring soil fungal communities at contaminated superfund sites, and their implications for the field of mycoremediation.  Studying and being advised in both mycology and environmental engineering, Lauren went on a journey of academic exploration beginning with popular notions of wood degrading white rot fungi as the prime candidates for fungal bioremediation.  Her research however, yielded surprising results about which fungi seemed most poised to degrade contaminants in creosote soaked soils, as well as insights into biostimulation, the practice of feeding existing wild microbes to perform environmental remediation.  Throughout the discussion Lauren also explains various molecular biology and environmental genetics techniques from past to present that can be used for assessing fungi and other microbes for bioremediation potential, and how she utilized them in her own research.  We also talk about future directions for utilizing next generation genetics techniques in bioremediation and environmental research in general.

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Jonathan Todd visits the show to talk about cleaning up environmental contamination with ecology entrenched systems. These “Eco-Machines” originally developed from the pioneering work of his father, Applied Ecologist John Todd. They are designed to bring in a high diversity of living organisms from all the kingdoms of life to work in tandem, breaking down environmental pollutants and achieving other benefits to Nature. We talk about various treatment systems and projects he has been involved in, discuss case studies and potential for using fungal mycelium and spent mushroom substrate as a land management tool, and get into the bigger picture of the potential of ecological design technologies in society.

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Author and freelance journalist Doug Bierend joins the show to discuss his new book "In Search of Mycotopia: Citizen Science, Fungi Fanatics, and the Untapped Potential of Mushrooms". The book describes Doug's journey of meeting a wide range of disparate characters involved in some way or another with fungi and the emerging DIY mycology community, and creates a vivid first hand practical and philosophical synthesis of the influences of fungi on contemporary culture, and vice versa.  We discuss themes from the book, what led him to this topic as a journalist, the progression of personal relationships with fungi and musings on different kinds of roles they could play in our collective future.

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In this episode we are joined by environmental consultant Tess Burzynski, founder of the urban mycology and community science education organization Fungi Freights.  Tess talks about what drew her to working with fungi, the context of Detroit that makes it ripe for urban agriculture, her goals of promoting citizen science in the city, working with an environmental engineering firm, practicalities of setting up modular laboratories with freight containers, the roles fungi play in bioremediation and more!

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John Michelotti joins the show to talk about his experiences running Catskill Fungi, a mushroom education and medicinal extract business, and being the president of the Mid Hudson Mycological Society.  From the joys of introducing people to the fascinating world of fungi, to providing handcrafted medicinal mushroom remedies to his community, to learning about harnessing soil fungi through natural farming techniques, to insights on running a mycological society and a mushroom business, John provides his unique perspective on a multitude of mushroom topics.

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This is an introductory episode to the Applied Mycology podcast.  Hosts Craig and Leif discuss the phrase "applied mycology" or, the use of fungi to address human and planetary needs, why it's an interesting topic, the purpose and goals of the the show, their own personal paths to pursuing this subject and a preview of some of the topics to come on the show.  What is this show and why is it being made?  Listen to find out!

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