Exhibit 06
Chaga
Inonotus obliquus (Fr.) Pilát
Place
Birch-dominated northern woodland, observed only as a fungal–tree relationship.
Adaptation
It forms a dark, sterile conk on living birch, leaving a visible trace of a prolonged fungal–tree interaction.
Molecular Signature
Water-soluble melanin complexes have been chemically characterized from chaga material.
Scientific Lens
How could material characterization separate fungal pigments from compounds associated with a woody host?
Human Possibility
What research and design questions might a dark fungal pigment system raise for natural-sensory and gut-microbiome exploration?
Application Fields
- Natural sensory
- Gut and microbiome