For millions of years, fungi have been quietly running the show behind the scenes, spinning nature's web in ways we're only beginning to understand. These curious and often underestimated lifeforms have played a massive role not only in shaping the planet's ecosystems but also in nudging human history along the way. You'll find them everywhere—from deep forests and sterile labs to pill bottles, designer runways, video games, and now… outer space.
Yep, you read that right—fungi are getting their moment among the stars. In fact, their presence is so notable that the field now has its own name: astromycology. But can these humble organisms actually help us reshape Mars, shield us from cosmic rays, or even support astronauts' mental well-being? The answers might be sprouting up sooner than we think.
Paul Stamets is a leading researcher who's made a name for himself by patenting fungal-based solutions with antiviral and pesticide powers—some of which are already being put to the test in clinical settings.
One of the first big projects Stamets teamed up with NASA on involved something straight out of a sci-fi flick: terraforming Mars. Yep, the kind of idea that seemed light-years away when we watched Matt Damon farm potatoes in The Martian. The goal? To find fungi that can break down regolith—the loose, dusty layer covering Martian bedrock—and turn it into something a bit more soil-like.
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