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News and Updates

NEW SCIENTIST｜The shocking decline of Earth’s microbiome – and how to save it

A comprehensive overview of the biodiversity crisis as it pertains to the microbiome, as well as efforts to preserve and restore microbial biodiversity (Funga is introduced as one of these efforts).

BUILT IN ATX｜Funga Forages $4M to Scale Its Fungi-Fueled Carbon Capture Technology

Coverage of our seed round and introduction to our work.

NEW SCIENTIST｜Adding wild fungi to soil could make trees store more carbon

A thorough introduction to the scientific concepts that are work is built on, and a description of our recent planting project in Georgia.

TECH CRUNCH｜Funga wants to accelerate carbon capture using belowground fungal biodiversity

Tech Crunch announces the closing of our $4M seed round of funding and introduces our founder, our investors, and our mission to scale up the first nature-based carbon removal to be powered by belowground biodiversity restoration.

TED｜How to harness the ancient partnership between forests and fungi

Dr. Colin Averill takes the stage at TED Countdown in London to present the science and vision that is foundational to Funga's work. 

MONGABAY｜For restoration, microbes below ground are just as crucial as the plants above

Coverage of Dr. Colin Averill's 2022 Nature Microbiology paper, which showed that microbiome restoration can accelerate plant biomass production by 64% on average.

INVERSE｜This Ecologist is on a Mission to Save Earth's Microbiome — and He's Closer Than Ever

Dr. Colin Averill was included in Inverse's 2022 Breakthrough Awards for his advancement of microbiome restoration in the emerging market of climate tech. 

ISME｜Forest tree growth is linked to mycorrhizal fungal composition and function across Europe

Dr. Colin Averill and colleagues analyzed forest inventory data across 15 European countries and found that the presence of ectomycorrhizal fungi was linked to a three-fold difference in tree growth rate.

NATURE MICROBIOLOGY｜Defending Earth’s terrestrial microbiome

​Dr. Colin Averill and colleagues analyzed 80 experiments to show that native soil microbiome restoration can accelerate plant biomass production by 64% on average.

INVERSE｜The Secret to Saving Our Planet May be Lurking in the Dirt Under Our Feet

A comprehensive distillation of Dr. Averill's 2022 paper in Nature Microbiology, "Defending Earth’s terrestrial microbiome".

THE TAKEAWAY｜Understanding Underground Fungi May Help Mitigate Climate Change

Dr. Colin Averill speaks with WNYC's The Takeaway podcast to discuss why we should adopt a “fungi first” approach to climate change.

SCIENCE｜By aiding trees, fungi might help curb warming

Following a profile of SPUN (Society for the Protection of Underground Networks), Science gives an overview of Funga's foundational experiment in Wales and plans to expand in the Southeastern United States. 

BBC EARTH｜Wood Wide Web : The Galaxy Beneath Our Feet

A video short by BBC Earth, spotlighting the work of Dr. Mark Anthony (Dr. Colin Averill's postdoctoral researcher and close collaborator) who discusses the function, importance, and sheer magnitude of forest fungal networks. 

TIME MAGAZINE｜Why Some Mushrooms May Be Magic for Climate Change

Coverage of Dr. Colin Averill’s seminal 2014 analysis in Nature showing particularly which mycorrhizal fungi trees partner with is linked to major differences in soil carbon storage across the world.

THE GLOBAL LANDSCAPES FORUM｜Can soil inoculation accelerate carbon sequestration in forests?

Interview with Dr. Colin Averill and other soil ecologists on the potential for soil microbiome restoration to transform ecosystem restoration practice.

GLOBAL SOIL BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVE｜Soil biodiversity and the stabilisation of carbon in soil

Dr. Colin Averill presents at the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative Webinar Series on emerging links between the soil microbiome and forest health.

FORBES｜Climate Catalysts: Fantastic Fungi

Dr. Colin Averill speaks to how soil microbiome restoration can introduce beneficial fungi, accelerating tree growth and carbon capture rates.

PNAS｜Global imprint of mycorrhizal fungi on whole-plant nutrient economics

Dr. Colin Averill documents how the predominant forms of tree mycorrhizal symbiosis are linked to the evolution different plant nutrient strategies across the planet.

SCIENCE｜The global soil community and its influence on biogeochemistry

Founder Dr. Averill and his colleagues synthesize over a decade of research showing how the soil microbiome - which fungal and bacterial species live where - is an important control of ecosystem carbon capture and storage.

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