Fungi is parasitic, they exploit the energy of dead and dying plants who create all the energy through their photosynthesis labor.
Saprophytes are parasitic. Mycorrhizal fungi are symbiotic and practice mutual aid, extending the rooting space of trees to allow for better nutrient transfer and chemical communication between the forest. They form a sort of intranet.
seriously I'm sitting here going "...I should grow some mushrooms." I don't even like mushrooms.
Culinary mushrooms aren't the only kind you can grow. Psilocybe mushrooms are the absolute easiest to work with and grow so cheaply that I just give them away, reishi/cordyceps/turkey tail all make powerful medicinal teas/tinctures, and there are mutualistic fungi that boost plant health in your garden like red wine caps. Working with a different kingdom that's more like ant farms than vegetables is really fun shit that will come in handy when meat is no longer affordable.
plants and fungus are nice because they let any old person produce medicine, but this bacteria makes mass production in bioreactors easier. having pressed pills with consistant dosing would be nice too
huh I've never done psylo but I do love recreational gardening so it seems like a logical next step