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High melanin yield from the honey fungus

#Empa #biology #laboratory #melanin #research

Melanin is more valuable than gold. Researchers at Empa recently succeeded in extracting large quantities of the pigment from the honey fungus. One of the intended applications of this versatile substance is to restore antique wind instruments.

Mushroom culture of the Hallimasch. Dark areas contain particularly high amounts of melanin.

The pigment melanin is a genuine miracle substance: It not only protects the skin from harmful UV rays, it can also be used as a wood preservative, to lend native spruce wood the color of dark ebony, or to filter lead out of polluted water.

So far, however, it was not possible to produce this marvelous substance on an industrial scale. Now, researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have found a helper in nature: The honey fungus in Oregon, USA, which has grown to become the largest living organism on earth. Its network extends over nine square kilometers. However, the honey fungus can not only grow to an immeasurable size – it also produces melanin.

High melanin yield

“We selected a promising strain of the honey fungus, which, with the help of our technology, now produces approximately 1000 times as much melanin as any other microorganism used in previous attempts to produce the pigment,” Empa announced. After three months, one liter of honey fungus culture had already produced some 20 grams of melanin.

Revitalizing historical instruments

The melanin yield promised by this process will make it possible to drive forward various other projects. For example, historical woodwind instruments could be replicated and saved from decay using a melanin-based wood treatment.

In the original instruments, moisture from the exhaled air creates excellent living conditions for fungi and vermin, which gradually destroy them.

Written by: sda

Photos: Empa

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Carlos Sanchez

A smart path into a sustainable future

Sustainability is no longer a distant dream but a present and pressing reality. Climate change and environmental degradation are forcing companies to take action. They must innovate and implement smart sustainability solutions, says Carlos Sanchez, a renowned sustainability visionary who shared with us the latest sustainability trends that can help build robust, resilient, and sustainable businesses.
September 28th, 2023
Mechanics performing maintenance work on an aircraft

Researchers make non-recyclable plastic recyclable

Swiss researchers have developed a new type of recyclable plastic that could be used in aircraft, cars or wind turbines in the future.
October 2nd, 2023
Recycled asphalt was used on the Lucmanier Pass

More recycled asphalt on Swiss roads

Tests with recycled asphalt on Swiss roads show promising results. In Uster ZH and on the Lukmanier Pass GR, the proportion of recycled asphalt could be increased without any loss of performance, according to Empa.
October 16th, 2023
a photovoltaic system on a house facade

Sun soon to be the most important source of energy

The sun is likely to become the world's most important source of energy before 2050, according to British scientists. This is the result of an analysis of technological and economic data by the University of Exeter and University College London.
November 27th, 2023
A hospital room with two beds divided by a curtain

Germicidal textiles for hospitals

A new process developed by Swiss researchers makes textiles germicidal. In future, this could be used to coat curtains in hospitals.
December 25th, 2023
G.V. Shivashankar arbeitet am PSI und der ETH Zürich

Fountain of youth for cells

Reprogrammed cells allow wounds in older people to heal faster. This could, for example, help burn victims.
January 1st, 2024
A scientist taking a water sample with a bottle

Gentle identification of fish species through their DNA

Identifying fish species in a river using DNA traces: This method was tested in Switzerland. It proved to be simpler and more reliable than the electrofishing method used to date.
January 15th, 2024
pressed plastic bottles

Microplastics fly particularly far and high

Microplastic fibres fly higher and further than previously assumed - even as far as the Arctic.
January 22nd, 2024
A futuristic aircraft with a blended wing body

Aircraft of the future make less noise

In an Empa research project, study participants rated the noise of new types of aircraft as less annoying than the noise of today's aircraft.
April 9th, 2024
the airship flying over a coast

British company produces climate-friendly airship

According to its developers, the British airship Airlander 10 could take off for commercial flights with passengers from 2028.
April 22nd, 2024