The Secret Life of Mushrooms

Mushrooms grow amazing, unseen, underground thread-like cells which form an intricate web between various living things in the earth. Many trees would not grow without the help of these mushrooms to find nutrients or water. Other types of mushrooms consume trees, transforming the cellulose of wood into a tough kind of tissue. SFSU Professor of Biology (and former President of the SF Mycologocial Society) J.R. Blair discusses the codependent relationship between trees and mushrooms and Phil Ross outlines his research into mushroom architecture-Mycotecture-and how durable, sustainable materials can be grown from agricultural waste at room temperature.