PAUL STAMETS BY HANNAH MAYES
Fig. 1. “File:Paul Stamets with Agarikon.jpg” by Howcheng https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/3428eee3-5631-476d-b925-b98d6962414e
After reading from several articles I found “return of the fungi” by Andy isaacc illustrated stamets the best for my research. Paul staemts faced hardships and insecurities his whole childhood and so he did not think his life was going anywhere. He had a troublesome stutter and so he felt alienated among his peers. On one fateful night stamets ingested psychedelic mushrooms, the next morning after along drug induced night he discovered he had conquered his speech impediment. Because of this experience he developed a fascination with fungi and the possible benefits. Paul first went to college but dropped out for work, He eventually graduated from evergreen state college where he studied Biology and electron microscopy. When he could not enter grad school He started his own fungi based company, ‘Fungi Perfecti’; a company that prides itself on maintaining and selling edible and medicinal mushrooms. (Isaacc)
Paul now can be found roaming the forest floors of the Pacific northwest with his with dusty, searching for mushrooms he can use in his research. Most recently he has received attention for his work in fighting to save the bees by using red reishi and amadou which are species of a wood conk mushroom. The mushrooms help because they have a resistance against a virus that has been wiping out bee populations across the county. ( Stamets)
Other notable things in his work include his research of agarikon which has been proven resistant to smallpox, bird flu, and Tuberculosis. He also discovered that a part of the oyster mushroom can be used to turn waste from oil spills or farmer run off into stable soil (Isaacc). Paul Stamets is a unique and special scientist because he proves that anyone can start off from nothing and become somebody who can make themselves proud.
Works Citations
Isaacson, Andy. “Return of the fungi: Paul Stamets is on a quest to find an endangered mushroom that could cure smallpox, TB, and even bird flu. Can he unlock its secrets before deforestation and climate change wipe it out?” Mother Jones, Nov.-Dec. 2009, p. 70+. Gale In Context: College, https://link-gale-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A210919980/CSIC?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=CSIC&xid=bf9fd728. Accessed 28 Sept. 2019.
Stamets, Paul. “Saving Bees With Mushrooms.” New York Times, 30 Dec. 2018, p. 4(L). Gale In Context: College, https://link-gale-com.lcc.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A567692441/CSIC?u=lom_lansingcc&sid=CSIC&xid=5928b950. Accessed 28 Sept. 2019.
“File:Paul Stamets with Agarikon.jpg” by Howcheng is licensed under CC BY 3.0
I’m so glad to learn about Mr. Stamets! Thank you choosing him as the subject of your post, and for describing the events that lead him to his area of work. I find that I have much in common with him, as I have always enjoyed learning about mycology and have also enjoyed foraging for fungi as a hobby.
I am especially fascinated by the positive results he had in controlling his stutter, resulting from his experience with psychedelic mushrooms–I have a rare brain condition that has been studied (literally) in-depth by Stanford University neurologists, and the team that studied me learned that I have somehow ‘re-purposed’ parts of my brain to do work that aren’t usually handled by areas that I somehow have learned to use differently. It was theorized that my ‘unique’ brain patterns may also have been affected by similar experiences in my history, so I really find this person’s story very personally relatable and I will be keeping an eye out for his work.
It’s also great to hear of anyone having any success with helping out the bees, and it will be so cool if fungi are able to help restore their populations!
Thanks again for posting about Mr. Stamets. Bee well!
Hey Hannah!
I thoroughly enjoyed your post; it was overall very entertaining and I thought subject matter was completely intriguing. I had to admit, I laugh out loud a bit after reading his major inspiration for pursuing his research was because of an extra special trip he had after taking shrooms! That piece of information took me completely by surprise and I loved it.
I thought it was very interesting that he discovered a way to use oyster mushrooms to transform contaminates material into stable soil. Especially since I’ve never thought of oyster mushrooms as anything aside from something that you could eat. And it was very interesting to learn all the incredible things he has discovered that fungi can do.
Thank you so much for sharing!