Team:Cornell/project/background

Cornell iGEM is developing a toolkit of genetic parts for engineering complex fungi, particularly plant-pathogenic basidiomycetes. We were inspired to do so by a local company, Ecovative Design, that uses lignin-degrading fungi and plant matter to produce a biodegradable Styrofoam substitute. Upon consulting the company on their production process, we found that their production efficiency suffered due to contamination from pathogenic molds, which inhibits the growth of the desired fungus and compromises entire batches of material. We recognized that this problem could be solved with a genetic circuit that confers resistance to specific mold species, but that both industry and academia largely lack standardized fundamental tools for engineering fungi. We seek to empower Ecovative and other organizations to improve the use of fungi to develop sustainable technologies.