Slashdot Mirror
Rubber from Mushrooms
Abhishek writes "The Hindustan Times reports that researchers at Gunma University, west of Tokyo, have produced rubber from the chichitake mushroom and the end-product has the advantage of not containing a protein that can cause allergies, according to Hiroshi Mitomo, head of the research team at the university's biological and chemical engineering department. The only obstacle is the high production costs which the scientists wish to conquer pretty soon."
At first glance I simply thought the editor had grossly mispelled shiitake. After all, they're pretty damn rubbery in the hot-and-sour-soup from the local chinese place.
Apparently, the chichitake mushroom is a completely different fungus. Also called the "Tawny Milkcap mushroom", as it produces "a white 'milk', or sticky latex, seeps out and turns brown when the gills are cut".
Most mushroom allergies are specific to one kind of mushroom. So unless she is allergic to chichitake mushrooms, she should be able to use them with no problem. Since the current alternatives to latex gloves are inferior, this could be a real boon to the health care industry. Even if they are not completely allergy free for everyone they will at least provide an alternative.