Metabolic engineering

Designed microbial systems for efficient production of psilocybin and psilocin

Updated

Abstract

De novo biosynthesis of psilocybin achieved 557.91 mg/L in shake flasks and 2.00 g/L in a bioreactor.

  • Psychedelic-assisted therapy may be a promising option for treating depression.
  • Psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, is recognized for its effectiveness against PTSD and treatment-resistant depression.
  • Current methods for extracting psilocybin are costly due to its low natural abundance.
  • Artificial biosynthetic pathways in Escherichia coli could improve psilocybin production by bypassing a key enzyme.
  • This approach may enhance the efficiency and commercial viability of psilocybin production.

Simplified

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

Funding

Competing interests

Declaration of competing interest A patent application is being filed on this technology by the University of Houston.
PubMed

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

  • 📚7 fresh studies
  • 📝plain-language summaries
  • direct links to original studies
  • 🏅top journal indicators
  • 📅weekly delivery
  • 🧘‍♂️always free