29: From pollution cleanup to building houses, what can't mushrooms do?

There are more than 5 million species of fungi, and each one likes a particular food. Some like sawdust. Others like plastic. Some can even digest heavy metals. After the fungi eat their meal, what was once waste turns into a new, natural and compostable material that can just be left to decompose or be used in all sorts of practical ways, from cleaning up oil spills to fashioning faux leather handbags to building houses. Sonia Travaglini, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley, tells us all about it.Read the story on UC Berkeley News: http://news.berkeley.edu/2018/03/29/what-cant-mushrooms-do/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.