Fungi

"Fungi are literally everywhere, shaping the world as we know it. They can be found in the stratosphere and the bottom of the Dead Sea, from antarctic glaciers to torrid deserts, from the gut of flies to deep oceanic sediments, and anywhere in between. Fungi are powerful players in global bio‐geochemistry, recycling carbon and mobilizing nitrogen, phosphorus and other bio‐elements. They provide essential support to plant life in the form of endophytes and mycorrhizae, while fungal pathogens can decimate plant and animal populations, threatening food supplies and even pushing some species to the brink of extinction. The metabolic singularities of many fungi have provided humanity with fermented foods and beverages to feed us and delight our senses, medicines to cure our bodies, and many compounds with important industrial usages. Fungi themselves are an important and valued source of food, and in the near future fungal biomass might even help to clothe and shelter us."