Indian precision fermentation startup StrainX Bioworks has raised $13M and self-affirmed one of its ingredients under the US FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) provision, marking a significant commercial milestone for India's emerging biotech sector. The Bhopal-based company operates a full-stack platform, controlling every stage from strain engineering through to downstream processing and manufacturing, a model designed to lower costs and accelerate scale-up toward 10

A rigorous 18-week clinical trial found that daily consumption of maitake mushrooms significantly improved cognitive scores in healthy older adults, particularly in memory.

Given current and future concerns over the environmental sustainability of animal protein production, many are looking towards mushrooms, mycelium and the fungi kingdom as a way to diversify protein sources and sustainably meet the world’s growing demand for protein and food.

A filamentous fungus isolated from sugarcane waste can simultaneously clean up toxic filter mud and generate usable bioelectricity, offering a practical solution for small-scale jaggery producers with little waste infrastructure.

Mushroom species such as Pleurotus ostreatus can degrade up to 95% of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in controlled conditions, pointing to a powerful enzymatic toolkit for cleaning polluted land.