<p>Join us as we dive into the hidden world of psychedelic fungi — uncovering the evolution of psilocybin, the science behind its effects, &amp; the surprising discovery of gene sharing among fungi.</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Topics Discussed:</strong> Mushroom cultivation, evolution of psychedelic fungi, horizontal gene transfer, academic mycology programs, stoned ape hypothesis, the ecological role of psychedelic fungi, and more.</p> <p><br></p> <p><a href="https://substack.com/@juzzie" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Justin</a>, <a href="https://substack.com/@rowanzeoli" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Ro</a>, and <a href="https://substack.com/@jgordoncurtis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">James</a> sit down with <a href="https://plantpath.osu.edu/our-people/jason-c-slot" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Dr. Jason Slot</a>, Associate Professor of Fungal Evolutionary Genomics at The Ohio State University.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Dr. Slot is affiliated with the <a href="https://www.cpdre.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education</a> and the <a href="https://www.entheome.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Entheome Foundation</a>. He coordinates the mycology minor at Ohio State and has made groundbreaking discoveries in the evolution of psilocybin-producing fungi.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In this episode, we explore the origins and ecological roles of psilocybin, the phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer, and the hurdles faced by researchers due to regulatory constraints.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Dr. Slot&#39;s insights provide a deeper understanding of the mysterious and complex world of psychedelic fungi.</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Follow </strong><a href="https://tripsitter.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Tripsitter</strong></a> on <a href="https://tripsitter.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Tripsittermag" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/tripsitter" target="_blank">Bluesky</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5WULa3AzEXLL4rCiNSPBGc" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tripsitter/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for more.</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Follow Jason</strong> on <a href="https://twitter.com/fungolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Twitter</a>.</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Articles by Dr. Jason Slot</strong></p> <ol> <li><strong></strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121855/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Horizontal gene cluster transfer increased hallucinogenic mushroom diversity</a> (2018)</li> <li><a href="https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/7/S1/article-p1.xml?body=pdf-27277" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Psychedemia: Charting the future of interdisciplinary Psychedelic Studies</a> (2023)</li> <li><a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(23)01460-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Domestication through clandestine cultivation constrained genetic diversity in magic mushrooms relative to naturalized populations</a> (2023)</li> <li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087184523000439" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The evolution and ecology of psilocybin in nature</a> (2023)</li> <li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087184522001141" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Genome sequencing progenies of magic mushrooms (Psilocybe subaeruginosa) identifies tetrapolar mating and gene duplications in the psilocybin pathway</a> (2023)</li> <li><a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9780429320415-12/plant-fungal-mutualisms-jason-slot" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Plant-fungal mutualisms</a> (2022)</li> <li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05110" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Reconstructing the early evolution of Fungi using a six-gene phylogeny</a> (2006)</li> <li><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1221748" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Paleozoic Origin of Enzymatic Lignin Decomposition Reconstructed from 31 Fungal Genomes</a> (2012)</li> <li><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1004816" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Evolution of Fungal Metabolic Pathways</a> (2014)</li> </ol> <p>→ <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=9LYkhnMAAAAJ&view_op=list_works" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">See More</a></p>