Truffles are among the most expensive foods on earth because nobody has figured out a cost-effective way to cultivate them, but any of us can afford “ordinary” mushrooms for dinner. Today, we brew ethanol for fuel and develop new foods, enzymes, and nutrients from the biochemical repertoires of fungi. For thousands of years we’ve used fungi to make beer and wine and bread. We are increasingly aware of the acute and chronic impacts of mycotoxins in foods and indoor environments.ĭespite their negative impacts, we are more aware than ever of the benefits of fungi. Most plant diseases are caused by fungi, but they are increasingly difficult to manage with fungicides or conventional methods of breeding plants for resistance. Lately we’ve seen new diseases like white nose syndrome of bats and the deadly frog chytrid-these and other emerging diseases are endangering animal species worldwide. Serious fungal infections of humans are increasing at an alarming rate, in part due to a rise in numbers of immune-compromised individuals. The human, animal, and plant diseases caused by fungi are threats to global health.

Cornell has no undergraduate major focusing entirely on mycology, but students in diverse fields can add a Minor in Fungal Biology that provides a deep knowledge of fungi and expands their versatility in the workplace.

They have profound impacts on biological systems as recyclers, nutrient prospectors, symbionts, pathogens, spoilage organisms, and sources of pharmaceuticals and other useful biochemicals. Fungi are important in making our planet work.

Takenote cornell magical mushroom