Joint research project by Mary Maggic and Ryan Hammond

Researchers
Year
2017
Program
Research field

Abstract / axes of work

 1- [schizophyllumcheese] How to make cheese with Schizophyllum Commune. Apparently Schizo produces the same types of lactose  coagulating enzymes that lactobacillus and cheese making microbes produce. When cheese is made with Schizo fermentation rather than lactobacillus fermentation it contains Beta-glucans and other anticarcinogenic substances

2- [Immunotherapy of Cancer] outlines information on Schizophyllan - a polysaccharide purified from Schizophyllum Commune that has been approved for the treatment of cervical cancer in Japan for the past 25 years. Could potentially engineer edible algae to overproduce this to create super cheap nutraceutical.


3- [decolorizationofdye_laccase] Outlines methods for collecting excreted laccases and other enzymes from spent mushroom compost for decolorization of endocrine disrupting and carcinogenic dyes used in clothing, plastic, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics production. Could be used to develop a cheap diy protocol for roughly determining laccase activity from a mushroom culture or other source. Laccases are able to break down a wide range of endocrine disrupting, carcinogenic, hormone mimicking pollutants.

These are the axes in which both will work, this node is a very good closing that accompanies processes generated by  time ago, in fact closes and re-open eliptically what have been working in Calafou Hack the Earth Simbiotika.


Experiments and activities

We will focus on the different applications of the fungus Schizophyllum commune itself, we will cultivate it and work on the extraction of Schizophyllan (neutral extracellular polysaccharide produced by the fungus) and applications.

1- Cultivation of the fungus, experimental prototyping

2- Extraction of Schizophyllan polysaccharide

3- Uses of Schizophyllan:

    - Cancer prevention through the elaboration of schizophyllum cheese, contains elements to  keep the   immune system in optimal conditions to protect from diseases such as cancer.
    - treatment of cervical cancer through Schizophyllan
    - treatment of contaminants in the Anoia River. Discoloration of dyes and estrogen endocrine elements, further testing and analysis in situ in Calafou -