Fungarium: Welcome to the Museum

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Who isn't excited about fungus? Unfortunately too many people, which is why I am so pleased that this book exists. A favourite Christmas present, this has left be with the New Year's resolution of becoming the best amateur mycologist I can be - something I had forgotten mattered to me so much despite a favourite series of unfortunate events book being The Grim Grotto (no spoilers on that one here - that is for another time). Lisa Edwards, Head of Children’s Publishing, Kings Road Publishing said: “Welcome to the Museum has become a flagship series for Big Picture Press and the partnership with Kew on Botanicum was so successful that we’re delighted to be working with them and the wonderful Katie Scott again. We pride ourselves on finding exactly the right illustrators and partners for our beautiful books and the Science Museum share our passion for helping children and families discover the fascinating world around them. Together with Raman Prinja and the illustrator of the moment, Chris Wormell, we know we have created a superb book offering and a Christmas gift winner on our hands.” Numerous other bequests and donations over the years have greatly enhanced the collection, alongside many specimens collected by Kew staff from all corners of the globe.

Ester Gaya is a senior research leader at Kew. She began her career in mycology in Spain and after some time in the USA decided to settle in the UK. She has spent the past 20 years researching fungi. She is especially fascinated by lichens and tries to understand their evolution. There are samples of fungi from all seven continents, spanning the entire fungal tree of life and representing well over half of known global diversity. What you learn about fungi is incredibly fascinating. For example, of the estimated 2.2 to 3.8 million different species of fungi on Earth, fewer than 5 percent have been identified! They are so diverse, and full of surprises. A lichen, for example, is actually made up of two different organisms functioning as a single, stable unit: a fungus, and an alga or cyanobacterium, which is it's source of food. Sort of like mating with a grocery store owner. Pretty clever! Fungarium, much like the other compendiums from the Welcome To The Museum series, is stunningly illustrated and full of well researched, scintallating facts that will prove fascinating and useful in turn. Learn here about how fungus works, how mushroom is technically not a true scientific term, and about how fungus is one of those kingdoms we know so little on that we have discovered roughly only around 5% of what scientists believe to be the true number of fungus species on planet earth.Los hongos están de moda, aunque siento que es más por el tema de las drogas y su carácter lúdico, y menos por las razones que me gustarían. Our fungal collections are particularly rich in type specimens: original material that is used to make clear links between the fungus as a living organism and the name applied to it.

Ester Gaya is a senior research leader at Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England. She began her career in mycology in Spain and lived in the US before settling in the UK. She has spent the past twenty years researching fungi and is especially fascinated by lichens and their evolutionary process. Another benefit is improving access. Our collections and records are highly sought after by researchers, not all of whom will be able to access them in person. Los humanos vivimos en una eterna relación de amor-odio con ellos. Gracias a ellos tenemos productos como el café, chocolate, quesos, bebidas fermentadas, vinagre y entre una larga lista de productos. Gracias a ellos la madera y las hojas muertas se degradan. Nuestro correcto funcionamiento del sistema digestivo depende de muchos de ellos y lo que es más, por el lado de la farmacéutica les estamos tremendamente agradecidos puesto que algunos de los medicamentos más importantes que tenemos provienen de ellos y siguen estudiándose para encontrar otros nuevos. Por el otro lado, luchamos para evitar que maten los cultivos, que echen a perder nuestra comida o que sencillamente muramos envenenados por ellos. Hay en el mundo de los hongos un verdadero apartado de terror. Los hongos no solo pueden infectar o enfermar a otros organismos, como los insectos, sino que en algunas ocasiones pueden liberar sustancias químicas capaces de manipular el cerebro de ellos y tomar el control de su cuerpo al más parecido estilo "zombi". Wendy Burford, Science Museum Group Publishing Manager, said: “We are thrilled that Planetarium will be joining the Welcome to the Museum series. Exploring Space is one of our most iconic galleries, filled with fascinating Space Age objects and stories. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and Planetarium will give readers a beautifully illustrated insight into our exploration of the universe so far.”Planetarium will give readers a beautifully illustrated insight into our exploration of the universe so far. The specimens in our Fungarium can help us to describe unknown species; understand the distribution of fungi and plant-fungus interactions; identify pathogens that could threaten crops; distinguish the spread and effect of invasive species; and analyse the impact of climate change. We can also extract DNA from specimens to find useful traits or to discover new medicines.

Product restrictions: We are unable to ship seeds, plants, bulbs, inflammable products, food and beverages outside of the United Kingdom Xmas Delivery Dates BBC Radio 4 presenter Sheila Dillon recently revealed she has taken mushroom supplements after her cancer treatment. Photograph: BBC Created in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the captivating and fascinating text is written by Kew mycologists David L. Hawksworth, Laura M. Suz, Pepijn W. Kooij, Kare Liimatainen, Tom Prescott, Lee Davies and Ester Gaya. Chaga, which grows on birch trees and resembles burnt charcoal, prevents wrinkles, helps counter IBD and fights bacterial and viral infections, according to some of those that sell it. Cordyceps militaris, the “zombie fungus” that inspired the HBO series The Last of Us, is reported to improve exercise performance, act as an antidepressant and boost female libido. In none of these cases however, are such claims supported by well-designed clinical trials.

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Katie Scott graduated from University of Brighton in 2011. Her work draws influences from traditional medical and botanical illustration, both in aesthetic and subject matter. It also plays with the ideas of scientific uncertainty and speculation, fabricating the inner and outer workings of the world. Her illustrations depict a familiar yet fantasy vision of plants, humans, and minerals.

Specimens, paper records and objects can degrade over time, or could be lost in a catastrophic event. Imaging them today preserves them in digital form, for much longer than their physical existence.Extracts of turkey tail have been used as mainstream cancer treatments since the 1970s in Japan and 1980s in China. “Turkey tail is an immune system regulator,” says Baxter. “It’s very good for lung cancers and a lot of different cancers.” In the gallery devoted to interactions between fungi and humans, you’ll see illustrations of which fungi are poisonous, which are edible - at least 350 species of fungi are collected for food! - and which are used for drugs. It is surprising to learn how many “wonder drugs” come from fungi, including not only antibiotics but immunosupressants and statins. Under UK law, food labelling cannot “attribute to any foodstuff the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease”. Such claims fall under medicines regulations and require marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). A spokesperson for the MHRA said it had received no marketing applications for products containing lion’s mane, turkey tail, reishi, cordyceps, chaga or shiitake, and that a number of retailers had been warned about making health claims for mushroom products and use of the term “medicinal mushrooms”. Admito que compré este libro por sus hermosas ilustraciones y terminé enamorándome del contenido, aunque en un par de ocasiones lo llegué a sentir demasiado inundado de un vocabulario muy especializado. Resumo brevemente algunas cosas que captaron mi curiosidad: When I first saw this book (and the others from the same series) at the bookstore, I thought it was meant for young kids; so I was elated when I found out that these are aimed to an adult public as well. I'm always happy when I find an adult picture book - plus, I am a huge mushroom nerd. I wanted to make sure that this was not a cover-buy or, in general, that I wasn't just buying this because it looks good (which it does, o so much), so I decided to read the kindle version first. And, well, I didn't really like it.