4 days ago
WVU student discovers psychedelic fungus that could be used to treat addition, depression
MORGANTOWN, (WBOY) — An environmental microbiology major at West Virginia University has made a discovery that researchers have been searching for for years.
Corinne Hazel, a junior from Delaware, Ohio, recently discovered a new species of fungus and named it Periglandula clandestina, because it has eluded investigators for decades, according to a press release from WVU. The fungus has similar effects as the semisynthetic drug LSD and was discovered growing in morning glory plants.
'We had a ton of plants lying around and they had these tiny little seed coats. We noticed a little bit of fuzz in the seed coat. That was our fungus,' Hazel said in the release.
The fungus grows on morning glories and makes ergot alkaloids, which gives them their psychedelic activities, according to the release. WVU said that the creator of LSD has been looking for the fungus since he invented the drug in the 1930s.
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According to WVU, LSD is already used to treat conditions like depression, PTSD and addiction, and Periglandula clandestina opens doors for the future of pharmaceuticals for treating other conditions like migraines, dementia, and Parkinson's disease.
Hazel is now studying ways to culture the fungus and looking for other fungal symbiotes in different morning glory species.
Daniel Panaccione, Davis-Michael Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences at the WVU Davis College of Agriculture and Natural Resources who works in the lab with Hazel said that the discovery was 'a significant thing' and 'amazing for a student.'
Hazel and Panaccione's discover has been published in Mycologia.
'I'm lucky to have stumbled into this opportunity,' Hazel said. 'People have been looking for this fungus for years, and one day, I look in the right place, and there it is. I'm very proud of the work that I've done at WVU.'
You can read more about Hazel's discover from WVU here or read the published work here.
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