🪐 Hy-five: Soil DNA Mapping, Mushrooms in Space, Fungi Solve Plastic Problem, Potato Waste Protein, Grape Yeasts.
Sporadic round-up of mycological research and industry news.
Hello dear fungi enthusiast,
Earlier this month I was glad to visit UK-based FA Bio, who are harnessing the power of fungi to develop next-generation biofungicides and biostimulants. By isolating and cultivating beneficial soil fungi — they have already isolated over 3,700 strains — they aim to replace petrochemical inputs and improve crop resilience.
They’re using a unique soil DNA mapping approach combined with high-throughput fungal screening to identify the best native strains for different soils and crops.
💡 Why is it important?
1/3 of all food is lost to plant disease—most current solutions are fossil-derived.
FA Bio’s targeted fungal inoculants are designed for specific agro-ecosystems, boosting both efficacy and adoption.
Their automated SporeTrain™ platform accelerates discovery and production of novel fungi for commercial use.
You’ll be hearing more from us on their work!
Learn more about how FA Bio are transforming sustainable agriculture.
#1 Australia Sends Oyster Mushrooms to Space on Historic Polar Orbit Mission
For the first time, a crop of mushrooms is being grown in space. Aboard SpaceX’s privately funded Fram2 mission, Australian company FOODiQ Global is experimenting with cultivating oyster mushrooms in microgravity—a milestone for fungi and space agriculture alike.
The Fram2 mission, launched in early April from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is the first human spaceflight to orbit Earth’s polar regions. Over the course of its three-to-five-day journey, the crew is conducting 22 experiments, including radiation monitoring and the cultivation of fungi. The mushroom trial is being managed by polar explorer and private astronaut Eric Philips, who will observe growth patterns, yield, and any signs of contamination.
#2 Can Fungi Solve Our Plastic Problem? New Promising Research Looks into Replacing and Breaking it Down.
The global plastic production crossed 400 million tonnes in 2022, with more than a third destined for single-use applications. Biodegradation by fungi offers a low-energy, decentralised strategy to mitigate plastic pollution—particularly microplastics. At the same time, fungal-derived biopolymers like α-1,3-glucan may allow us to reduce our reliance on conventional plastics altogether. But challenges remain. Biodegradation rates are modest, and fungal biopolymer films need better mechanical performance to replace petrochemical plastics at scale, but compelling research coming from India and China shows promises for the future.
#3 Better Meat Co Secures Patent for Turning Potato Waste into Mycelium Protein
California-based food tech company The Better Meat Co has received its sixth US patent, this time for a method of growing mycelium protein on potato-processing sidestreams. The new patent expands on previous intellectual property by covering production processes using both Neurospora and Aspergillus species, as well as downstream applications from pasteurisation to shaping into meat analogues.
This latest milestone reinforces The Better Meat Co’s position in the alt-protein space, where it sits alongside other fermentation startups like Meati, Planted, and MyForest Foods. TIME Magazine recently named it one of the World’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2025. With a process that uses industrial food waste to produce nutrient-dense protein, the company exemplifies how fungi can support both food security and waste valorisation.
4# Intake's Grape-Based Precision Fermented Proteins Secures $9.2M for the Korean Alt-Protein Market
South Korean alt-protein firm Intake has raised ₩13.5 billion (US$9.2 million) in Series C funding to scale up its precision fermentation platform. The new funding comes as investment in precision fermentation accelerates globally. In 2024, while capital for plant-based and cultivated meat dropped by 64% and 40% respectively, fermentation-derived proteins saw a 43% rise. Intake is one of a growing number of Asian players turning to microbial fermentation to produce what it calls “first-generation protein powders” for “second-generation” applications—dairy, meat, and egg analogues.
At the heart of Intake’s R&D is a yeast strain derived from locally grown grapes. The wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been enhanced through adaptive evolution to yield 1.5 times more protein than standard yeast strains. Intake processes this fungi through fermentation, cell disruption, and refinement into a high-protein powder.
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