Team:Cornell/project/background

Cornell iGEM is developing a toolkit of genetic parts for engineering complex fungi, particularly plant-pathogenic basidiomycetes. This toolkit will provide future iGEM generations and scientists worldwide with a greater ability to work with these seldom studied organisms. We were inspired to do so by a local company, Ecovative Design, that is driven to “rid the world of toxic, unsustainable materials,” and thus 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