> does cite two papers on anti-viral phytochemicals present in birch wood. I'm skeptical.
What struck me: just as non targeted RNA produced a similar immune response as targeted RNA, maybe any myco extract triggers immune response — perhaps any foreign matter (dirt) would do as much. The idea that bees on fungi are self medicating is a bit of a stretch, we know they sometimes collect spores thinking they’re food.
This is the trouble with proselytizing, it casts a shadow over the potential value of the results. Stamets appears to be a very avid collector of unique hammers -- looking for just the right nails to hit. He has filed any number of patents over the years, including one to prevent and treat "CCD".
¶
Integrative fungal solutions for protecting bees and overcoming colony collapse disorder (CCD): methods and compositions
2014-08-07 US20140220150A1 Application
The present invention is based on a plurality of benefits from the extracts of mycelia of individual fungal species, and their mixtures, to provide an armamentarium of defenses from multiple stressors in order to help bees survive and more particularly overcome a complex of symptoms collectively called colony collapse disorder (CCD).
The methods and compositions of this designed fungal bioshield helps tilt the balance in favor of bee colony survival, improving the health conditions, disease resistance, pesticide tolerance, pollution tolerance, drought tolerance, pollination abilities, and quality of the honey produced by bees.
CCD is now approaching 40% with many beekeepers; with the ‘factory farms,’ where up to 84,000 beehives are kept in one location, CCD can claim more than 60%.
The present inventor sees the intersection and interplay of several mycological methods and compositions as a possible integrated solution to CCD. Each one of these elements may be sufficient to cause an effect leading to preventing or reducing CCD. As an integrated platform of partial solutions, the totality of these methods will achieve a synergistic benefit
The inventor has isolated various strains of mushroom fungi, including Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes versicolor, and Psilocybe azurescens that have demonstrated superior abilities to “bioremediate” or “mycoremediate” various toxins including oil, pesticides and nerve gases such as Sarin, Soman and VX
Ganoderma lucidum is one of the species of particular interest to the inventor as it not only has strong antiviral properties, but has complexes of sugars that result in its mycelium producing a viscous syrup-like “mycological honey” that can be used to help bees survive CCD.
Moreover, the network-like structure of the mycelium allows for epigenetic evolution of strains that can be evolved to emit substances targeted specifically for the benefit of bees. Such improvements are anticipated by the inventor as a method for making strains and compositions more attractive to bees and more appropriate for helping bees overcome CCD.
&c &c &c
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