Infectious Fungi - Dr. Neil Gow
09/14/21 • 56 min
We are joined by Mycologist Neil Gow who has formal training in mycology, especially in relation to infectious fungi. On today's show, we look at fungi through the lens of pathogenic interactions with humans. Which fungi are most likely to cause a human zombie apocalypse? What happens when you inject psilocybin tea into your veins?
Although his research is on combating fungal infections, Neil is a big time mycophile with jaw dropping information on this impressive kingdom of life.
Topics covered:
- Common fungal infections in humans
- The status of research and understanding of pathogenic fungi, esp with humans
- Why are fungal infections so hard to treat?
- What are the mechanisms of fungal infection in humans?
- Mucormycosis or the "black fungus" outbreaks
- The pervasiveness of candida
- Evolution of drug resistant fungi
- Case Study: Intravenous Injection of Psilocybin
- The morbid question: which fungal species are most likely to cause zombie humans?
- Forensic mycology and microbiology
- Prevalence of fungal products
- The mycobiome and mutualism between human and fungal species
Show notes:
What is this field of Mycology?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3farm1uFrbI
Neil Gow's Publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Neil-Gow-2
The Genus Plague: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33946360-the-genius-plague
A “Trip” to the ICU: An Intravenous Injection of Psilocybin: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S266729602030015Xv
ECMM: https://www.ecmm.info/fecmm/fellows/gow-neil/
WHO Data on Fungal Infections: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7278517/
www.mushroomrevival.com
We are a functional mushroom company and make 100% certified USDA Organic and Vegan mushroom supplements. We are transparent with our lab results, and use actual fruiting bodies aka mushrooms! We provide our supplements in tincture, capsule, powder, and delicious gummy form.
Energy (Cordyceps): Need a little pick-me-up before a workout or when you’re picking up your kids from school? The Energy Cordyceps is the mushy match for you.
Focus (Lion’s Mane): Needing a little more focus in your daily life? Lion’s Mane is known to be the mushroom for the brain and may support cognitive function.
Calm (Reishi): Looking for some tranquility and zen in your life? Reishi will bring you into the zen state of mind you’ve been searching for.
Daily 10 (Mushroom Mix): It’s like having 10 bodyguard mushrooms fighting off all those bad guys. This is a good place to start as it contains all of the daily mushies you need.
Not sure where to begin? Take our mushroom quiz here.
Use code ‘PODTREAT’ for a 30% discount.
We are joined by Mycologist Neil Gow who has formal training in mycology, especially in relation to infectious fungi. On today's show, we look at fungi through the lens of pathogenic interactions with humans. Which fungi are most likely to cause a human zombie apocalypse? What happens when you inject psilocybin tea into your veins?
Although his research is on combating fungal infections, Neil is a big time mycophile with jaw dropping information on this impressive kingdom of life.
Topics covered:
- Common fungal infections in humans
- The status of research and understanding of pathogenic fungi, esp with humans
- Why are fungal infections so hard to treat?
- What are the mechanisms of fungal infection in humans?
- Mucormycosis or the "black fungus" outbreaks
- The pervasiveness of candida
- Evolution of drug resistant fungi
- Case Study: Intravenous Injection of Psilocybin
- The morbid question: which fungal species are most likely to cause zombie humans?
- Forensic mycology and microbiology
- Prevalence of fungal products
- The mycobiome and mutualism between human and fungal species
Show notes:
What is this field of Mycology?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3farm1uFrbI
Neil Gow's Publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Neil-Gow-2
The Genus Plague: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33946360-the-genius-plague
A “Trip” to the ICU: An Intravenous Injection of Psilocybin: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S266729602030015Xv
ECMM: https://www.ecmm.info/fecmm/fellows/gow-neil/
WHO Data on Fungal Infections: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7278517/
www.mushroomrevival.com
We are a functional mushroom company and make 100% certified USDA Organic and Vegan mushroom supplements. We are transparent with our lab results, and use actual fruiting bodies aka mushrooms! We provide our supplements in tincture, capsule, powder, and delicious gummy form.
Energy (Cordyceps): Need a little pick-me-up before a workout or when you’re picking up your kids from school? The Energy Cordyceps is the mushy match for you.
Focus (Lion’s Mane): Needing a little more focus in your daily life? Lion’s Mane is known to be the mushroom for the brain and may support cognitive function.
Calm (Reishi): Looking for some tranquility and zen in your life? Reishi will bring you into the zen state of mind you’ve been searching for.
Daily 10 (Mushroom Mix): It’s like having 10 bodyguard mushrooms fighting off all those bad guys. This is a good place to start as it contains all of the daily mushies you need.
Not sure where to begin? Take our mushroom quiz here.
Use code ‘PODTREAT’ for a 30% discount.
Previous Episode
Mycoprotein: A Sustainable Future Food
A lot is to blame for the climate crisis, one of the most dire being our excessive meat consumption. A possible solution? Fungi.
For animal agriculture to keep up with the demand, we are compensating for safety, animal welfare, and sustainable practices that are emitting methane and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. Even deforestation is an impact of global demand for meat and other animal products.
Thankfully with education and/or commercialization of new fungi and plant based products, we have a real shot at satiating the population’s “meattooth”. Mushrooms are already a trusty meat alternative, and now with biotechnology we can partner with fungi in innovative ways. We are joined by Paul Shapiro, the CEO of The Better Meat Co., where his team is partnering with a neurospora species to quickly ferment a mycoprotein they call Rhiza, which contains more protein than eggs, more iron beef, more fiber than oatmeal, and even contains b12.
Topics Covered:
- Meeting the global demand for meat — at what cost?
- Practical alternatives to animal products, especially meats
- Paul’s recent book on cellular agriculture, or lab-grown meat
- The future of our protein source and how our current practices will be remembered
- How to brew mycoprotein
- Fermentation science and nutritional value of mycoproteins, specifically Rhiza
- The ease, and the challenges, of scaling a mycoprotein
Show Notes:
The Better Meat Co. : https://www.bettermeat.co/
Paul Shapiro Website: https://www.paul-shapiro.com/
Paul Shapiro’s Talks: https://www.paul-shapiro.com/speeches
Clean Meat Book: https://cleanmeat.com/
www.mushroomrevival.com
We are a functional mushroom company and make 100% certified USDA Organic and Vegan mushroom supplements. We are transparent with our lab results, and use actual fruiting bodies aka mushrooms! We provide our supplements in tincture, capsule, powder, and delicious gummy form.
Energy (Cordyceps): Need a little pick-me-up before a workout or when you’re picking up your kids from school? The Energy Cordyceps is the mushy match for you.
Focus (Lion’s Mane): Needing a little more focus in your daily life? Lion’s Mane is known to be the mushroom for the brain and may support cognitive function.
Calm (Reishi): Looking for some tranquility and zen in your life? Reishi will bring you into the zen state of mind you’ve been searching for.
Daily 10 (Mushroom Mix): It’s like having 10 bodyguard mushrooms fighting off all those bad guys. This is a good place to start as it contains all of the daily mushies you need.
Not sure where to begin? Take our mushroom quiz here.
Use code ‘PODTREAT’ for a 30% discount.
Next Episode
Spalting Fungi, Pigment Ecology & Wood Anatomy - Dr. Seri Robinson
Today’s show is all about spalting fungi and its unique mycology. This time, we are joined by THE expert, Dr. Seri Robinson, who has been studying the phenomena for over a decade. Aside from spalting’s unique mycology, we discuss the auspicious applications of these fungi and their metabolites.
Seri is an artist and Professor of wood anatomy at Oregon State University. They were introduced to spalted woods through wood working, quickly discovering the lack of information about the phenomena, and therefore pioneering a new subfield of science.
Topics Covered:
- A look into Dr. Seri Robinson’s life as an artist and scientist, and their unconventional path to studying spalted woods
- The history and urban legends of spalted wood
- Defining spalted wood and spalting fungi
- Specific environmental conditions for spalting fungi
- How to spalt wood in the lab
- Ecology of fungal pigments
- Function of fungal pigments, especially fungal melanin
- Decay stages of fungi and how that affects wood spalting
- How to extract the spalting pigment
- Chlorociboria’s pigments and it’s impressive applications
- Wood anatomy and how fungi are influenced by their substrates
Show notes:
- Spalting Cooperative Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/spalting
- Northern Spatling: https://www.northernspalting.com/
- Spalted Wood Book: https://www.amazon.com/Spalted-Wood-History-Science-Material/dp/0764350382/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=0764350382&psc=1
- Spalting 101 Book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spalting-101-dr-seri-c-robinson/1137088019?ean=9780764360893
- Publication on zone line mycology: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127521000332
- Xylindein pigment research: https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/fungi-produced-pigment-shows-promise-semiconductor-material
We are a functional mushroom company and make 100% certified USDA Organic and Vegan mushroom supplements. We are transparent with our lab results, and use actual fruiting bodies aka mushrooms! We provide our supplements in tincture, capsule, powder, and delicious gummy form.
Energy (Cordyceps): Need a little pick-me-up before a workout or when you’re picking up your kids from school? The Energy Cordyceps is the mushy match for you.
Focus (Lion’s Mane): Needing a little more focus in your daily life? Lion’s Mane is known to be the mushroom for the brain and may support cognitive function.
Calm (Reishi): Looking for some tranquility and zen in your life? Reishi will bring you into the zen state of mind you’ve been searching for.
Daily 10 (Mushroom Mix): It’s like having 10 bodyguard mushrooms fighting off all those bad guys. This is a good place to start as it contains all of the daily mushies you need.
Not sure where to begin? Take our mushroom quiz here.
Use code ‘PODTREAT’ for a 30% discount.
Mushroom Revival Podcast - Infectious Fungi - Dr. Neil Gow
Transcript
You're listening to the mushroom revival podcast.
LeraToday on the show we're talking with mycologist Neil Gao who has formal training in mycology, especially in relation to human and fungal pathogens. Despite his research on combating fungal infections Neo is a big time myco file with loads of great information on this impressive Kingdom of life. We discussed the pervasiveness of fungal infections, which f
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