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The world’s largest fungus collection may unlock the mysteries of carbon capture


Research is uncovering the key role that fungi play in getting soils to absorb carbon.

The botanical collection in London is home to towering redwoods and giant Amazonian water lilies capable of holding up a small child. “What this allows us to do is to come up with a reference of fungal biodiversity —what fungi are out there in the world, where you can find them.” Archivists—wearing mushroom hats for some reason—float between the shelves, busily digitizing the vast archive, which includes around half of all the species known to science. In 2020, mycologist Merlin Sheldrake’s book Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures was a surprise bestseller.

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