The future is fungi: Transforming agriculture and climate change
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Aded Chaudhury from loam bio
This inspiring Australian success story originates in New South Wales, where Loam Bio began its mission to address climate change.
Through years of dedicated research and farm trials, its novel approach leverages microorganisms in grain production systems, delivering increased soil carbon benefits to growers and the environment.
At the forefront of Loam Bio’s Science and Innovation department is Abed Chaudhury. Leading a team of microbiologists and soil researchers, Abed focuses on understanding the intricate interactions within microbial populations and deciding on the right cohort of species to reduce greenhouse gas contribution.
Abed and his team delve into the microbial diversity of soil, a complex ecosystem comprising millions of microorganisms. Through advanced genomic techniques, they are uncovering new frontiers of scientifc understanding of these microbial communities and their interrelationships. Abed explains the team’s vision: “Our aim is to utilise microorganisms, especially fungi, to capture carbon from the atmosphere and return it to the soil.”
Connecting with AGRF very early on, Abed has been engaging Next Generation Sequencing microbial profiling techniques and metagenomics to sequence fungi in Australia to understand the functions and behaviour of these organisms. “We use the short read data alongside powerful bioinformatics to give us a deep understanding of the subject matter and make sense of it all,” he says. Abed values the “efficient and proactive” interaction with AGRF and explains that it has been the straightforward engagement and high quality genomic sequencing from AGRF that has made progress possible.
The microbial products being researched by Loam Bio centre on the soil sequestration of carbon in soil. Seed coating involves applying external materials to the natural seed coat to modify the physical properties for specific purposes.1 A farmer treats their crop seeds with a microbial inoculum prior to sowing and, through a beneficial relationship between plant and fungus, the plant is able to draw in atmospheric carbon and store it in a very stable form under the soil.1 This holds huge potential for mitigating greenhouse gases on a global scale but also promotes a healthier food system and regeneration of soil. Mick Wettenhall, Co-founder of Loam Bio, emphasises the significance of reliably influencing this process to realise the full gains in the industry.2
In the animal-agriculture sector, Abed has discovered that fungi possess mechanisms facilitating reduced methane emissions from ruminant livestock by inhibiting methane-producing bacteria. This opens the door for transforming the sector by targeting and controlling this metric reliably.
Loam Bio is adding great value to our planet’s needs and is dedicating its efforts towards developing technologies that reduce greenhouse gases, transforming an environmental challenge into an opportunity for farmers and the broader community. With an expanding presence in the US and Canada, Loam Bio is committed to fostering healthier food systems and regenerating soils on a global scale to create a better and more sustainable world.
References
- Penrini, S, ‘Seed coating: Science or marketing spin?’, Trends in Plant Science, (2017): 106–116.
- Loam Bio Home, accessed 2 June 2023, https://www.loambio.com/
