Bioremediation with Fungi

Paul Stamets of Fungi Pefecti explains his work with mushrooms to repair damaged ecosystems. Stamets is one of the leading entrepreneurs exploring the possibilities that various fungi offer us.

Paul Stamets may not be well known outside of a small circle of environmentalist, permaculture designers and fungi fans but his work is on the cutting edge of environmental and economic research and development. Stamets is part of a family business Fungi Perfecti and is well known on the lecture circuit. In thsi video Stamets discuss the role of fungi in bioremediation. The Wikipedia defines bio remediation as :

any process that uses microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to return the environment altered by contaminants to its original condition. Bio remediation may be employed to attack specific soil contaminants, such as degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons by bacteria. An example of a more general approach is the cleanup of oil spills by the addition of nitrate and/or sulfate fertilisers to facilitate the decomposition of crude oil by indigenous or exogenous bacteria.

Bio remediation, when employing fungi to repair damaged ecosystems, is also known as phytoremediation. The research and development of fungi for many uses is a growth field that could help strengthen declining communities through job creation and entrepreneurial opportunities.