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Medical use of fungi

Scenario by Niina Hyry, 2021

When people are moving to Mars, they need to pack a large pharmacy with them. The pharmacy might be in bottles and pills, but sooner or later, they will run out. Everything that people are about to do in space, or spend more time on Mars, the more self-sufficient they need to be.

During spaceflight and isolation on Mars, the first humans might go through serious mental issues. It is a stressful and isolated voyage for individuals. Also, the radiation and harsh environment might cause unexpected illnesses, and the collection of medicine might not always fulfil the need.

Fungi are not only the fruiting bodies that you can eat. A wide range of fungi are already being used in medicine. Fungi species (mushrooms, molds, yeasts) are known to help to fight many diseases among other viable uses. Penicillin may be the famous one. Different yeasts produce vitamins, insulin and alcohol. For mental health issues, psilocybin mushrooms have been discovered to help in controlled and safe doses. There are antibiotic, antioxidant and antitumor properties in many species. The most advantageous is that the fungal based medicines can be multiplied—the pharmacy in the form of fungi.