It's a wrap! 2023 Fungal Highlights

It's been less than 10 months since our official launch last March, but it feels like a few years have already passed...

Thanks to the willingness of fungi enthusiasts to connect and collaborate from across the world, MycoStories has gone from a simple vision to a multifaceted network supporting entrepreneurs, researchers, citizen scientists and artists in the rapidly sporing world of fungi conservation and innovation.

I'm incredibly grateful for our fast-growing community of 20,000 followers and the hundreds of people who have paved the foundations and building blocks to what I hope will become the global network supporting fungi conservation and fungi-powered innovation that disrupts our global economy.

Since its launch, beyond broadening the awareness of fungi and connecting stakeholders within the fungi ecosystem, MycoStories has worked with a company launching a new styrofoam packaging alternative, supported a promising mycelium leather scale-up, connected investors to a dozen early stage-ups, introduced profiles to talent seeking companies, and partnered with other global sustainability networks such as Thought For Food and ChangeNOW.

I raise my glass with all of you to celebrate the countless 2023 milestones achieved in the fields of remediation, carbon storage, energy production and storage, sustainable agriculture and forestry, cultivation and automation, alternative protein, fashion, products and packaging, healthcare, mental health, wellbeing and many more. Join me for a richer 2024 when I shall dedicate my time expanding MycoStories' reach and expertise to support the pioneers working with our fungal allies towards a more sustainable future.

Stay curious 🍄

Marc Violo

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Most popular headlines 📈

Thanks to the work of contributors and partners, we've written over 150 stories showcasing the latest fungi research, business updates and art projects along with information archives that deserve more attention. Here are the top three headlines per theme below.

🍄 Food

• 🥛 ImaginDairy: Creating a wide range of dairy products without cows by using fungi 

• 🤖 Tupu raises US$3.2M to revolutionize food production through its decentralized farming system

• 🥘 How Different Cooking Methods Alter Medicinal Properties of Cooked Mushrooms

📦 Materials

• 🚀 Biocycler remediates demolition waste to make new building materials for Earth and beyond

• 🏗️ Mycelium chosen for the development of a new housing complex in Oakland

• 🧫 Engineered fungal materials enable self-assembly, sensing, and self-healing characteristics 

🌲 Soil

• 🏞️ Mycoforestry: Can Fungi Hold the Key to Sustainable Forests?

• 🌍 Carbon storage and mycorrhizal fungi: Science backed climate solution

• 🔬Custom-built biotechnology platform for soil remediation: Novobiom 

🧬 Science

• 🔋 Using Fungi to Create the World's First Biosynthesized Battery

• 🖥️ Introducing the Mycelium Computer: a Biocomputer using Fungi to Process Information

• ⚗️ Monitoring of filamentous fungi biomass through SBi's Cell Growth Quantifier

🧪 Health

• 😺 The MycoStories Functional Mushroom Cheat Sheet

• 🧘 Mushroom treatments for Depression, Anxiety, Addiction, OCD, and PTSD

• 🛀🏽 Fungal Bath: Full Body Enzyme Immersion

👩‍🎨 Art

• 🛕 MycoTemple: a space for physical and spiritual transformation

• 👩‍🎨 The Bioartistry of Vera Meer and the Secrets of Fungal Life

• 🦠 Microorganism Art: Introducing Dasha Plesen

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MycoStories World Tour 🌍

MycoStories has been on the road for the past 5 months working with and showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs, researchers and artists in Asia and the Pacific. We are currently in Hawaii before heading to Portland, Oregon then Mexico where our Latin American leg of the journey begins this January 2024. Don’t worry if you’ve missed out on the details. You may browse our highlights below.

Stay tuned and get in touch if you would like to meet or introduce me to North, Central and South America-based mycophiles who might be interested in connecting.

🇸🇬 Singapore

• 🥼 Bioinspired microstructural design by Dr. Hortense Le Ferrand

• 🔊 REFUSE - a bio-sonification exhibition merging music with fungi

• 🤯 Bewilder champions the awe-inspiring applications of mushrooms in Singapore

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• 🧫 Better Nature Tempeh: Fermentation to create natural, nutritious food, accessible to all

• 🖼️ Meeting Indonesian bio-inspired artist Syaiful Aulia Garibaldi

• 🏝️ Lichen and fungi of West Papua from the Raja Ampat Eco Lodge

• 👟 Scaling the production of mushroom leather in Bandung

🇯🇵 Japan

• 🗾 Exploring the decontamination of forests in Fukushima with fungi

• 🗻 Kinoko: A window into the mystical world of japanese mushrooms

• 🎴 Unlocking the art and science of shiitake mushroom cultivation

🇺🇲 U.S. (Hawai'i)

• 🌋 Conservation on the Big Island: The Hawaii Fungi Project

• 🍷 From wine to mushroom production: Embracing local food production in Hawaii

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We're always looking to work with and showcase the latest fungi projects and research.

Get in touch if you would like to:

• Have your work, research or company featured through the network

• Seek industry expertise or business support

• Discuss partnership and collaboration ideas

• Become a network ambassador or sponsor