'Silent' Fungus Metabolism Awakened For New Natural Products

'Silent' Fungus Metabolism Awakened For New Natural Products

www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (May 1, 2008) — US scientists have re-awakened ‘silent’ metabolic pathways in fungi to reveal a new range of natural products. The research could provide not only a source of new drugs, but a way to “listen to what fungi are saying” to organisms around them.

Fungi produce a wide variety of natural products, including potent toxins – for example, the amanitins, primarily responsible for the toxicity of the death cap fungus – and life-saving drugs such as penicillin. As a result, the genetics of fungi have generated much interest in recent years.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 2-5-2008 by grover]

Fungi are among the most chemically complex lifeforms on the planet, and in my book possibly alien, because they are so odd and appeared so suddenly in the fossil record. Amanita Muscaria aka fly agaric, the soma of ancient India, extremely hallucigenic in its Eurasian form... deeply sedative in its western Hemisphere form is known to leach toxins out of the ground... others are known to have up to 25 different sexual combinations... indeed the largest living beings on Earth in terms size and weight are several (known) "infestations" (I use the term selectively in that they are spread throughout an area) of Honey Mushroom that has spread its mycillium over several hundred acres in both Michigan and the pacific northwest (Oregon I believe) so that every honey mushroom that fruits in that confine belong to the same "plant". Actually fungi are a seperate life form.

They are a chemical gold mine that is only beginning to be explored.

www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Are the results patentable? Reliable? Predictable? I don't get enough data from this source.

Is this a good thing?

Originally posted by Amaterasu
Are the results patentable? Reliable? Predictable? I don't get enough data from this source.

Is this a good thing?

You have inadvertently (or maybe purposefully) identified the first true indicator of propaganda here. This article seems intentionally vague and non-specific about the 'news' it supposed to represent.

Many here are very familiar with the incredible bounty of chemical processes within the fungus family. The real news in this article is non-news. The establishment has long 'purposefully' downplayed any pharmaceutical possibilities because as a naturally occurring substance its produiction cannot be controlled and thus there are little if no opportunity for monopoly (which they refer to as 'proprietary possibilities').

But now in the 21st century new precedents have been set making it possible to corner the market on certain byproducts because the method of extraction is patentable. By 'forced genetic or biochemical stimulation' fungi can be made to 'custom' substances - that knowledge can now be 'patented' because they are allowed to refer to it as 'a process.'

The illusion however must be maintained that it is the technology that brings us the chemical or substance - not the fungus itself. So here we have an article making a scientific announcement on biochemical 'old'; news to give you the idea that this is a new thing. And our academician researches are only too eager to oblige with gratuitous and self-congratulatory 'science news'.

Sorry to wax pessimistic. This could be very promising considering they finally are going to do what they have had the technology to do for the last 20 years. Who knows what we have missed, because big business wasn't ready to 'cash in' on that technology.


[EDIT to prevent offense]

I did not mean to imply that this post doesn't belong in the breaking news section. The source is presented, and should be accepted as breaking news. My comments refer to the tardy recognition by the research community of these 'new' possibilities.

[edit on 2-5-2008 by Maxmars]

I think it is extremely important that the medical community better understand fungi. It seems they have a better grasp on bacteria and viruses. Only through understanding all three and their interactions can we begin to truly understand disease. IMO Starred and Flagged!

reply to post by Amaterasu


Of course they will be patented... that in the long run is the most deep set flaw in predatory capitalism... it knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

The notion of patenting life is both insane and obscene.

reply to post by grover


I suspected there would be patents involved. I agree that such patents are counter to logic.

Well, the future remains to be seen, eh? [smile]