Ilze Irbe speaking on Radio NABA
On 25 January, the radio Naba programme about mushrooms "Mycelium" hosted Ilze Irbe, a leading researcher and mushroom expert at the LSIWC Cellulose Laboratory. The theme of the programme "Mushrooms start and win" reflects Ilze's recent success in winning the main prize in the international competition "WorldStar for Packaging". The prize was awarded to the entry "Mycelium composite pellets for packaging material protection" - an environmentally friendly, compostable material composed of mushroom mycelium and wood or hemp residual fibres.
Ilze talked about the role of fungi in her research, revealing the diversity of the mushroom kingdom. Ilze revealed how she decided to work specifically with the Trametes versicolor mushroom, whose mycelium is grown on lignocellulosic substrates to create mycelium composites. These can be used as substitutes for synthetic foam materials. Using hemp shives and other agricultural residues makes the materials as cost-effective and environmentally friendly as possible.
The programme is hosted by Evita Veinberga, board member of the Latvian Mycological Society, social anthropologist and translator, and Miks Rieksts-Hofmanis, member of the Latvian Mycological Society, a biologist and ecologist. The aim of the programme is to educate the public and promote healthy leisure activities by talking about mushrooms, their collection and use in a popular scientific way.
The recording of the programme is available on Spotify and LSM RePlay
