Psychedelic Bacteria

A group of undergraduate researchers recently discovered a novel process for producing a promising drug used to treat depression, addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder. A chemically synthesized version of the drug, known as psilocybin, is already undergoing clinical trials. But the new method would make it possible to produce it more cost-effectively and on a larger scale.

Psilocybin is the active ingredient found in “magic mushrooms” and, in some cases, has been shown to be therapeutically effective with a single dose. However, synthetic chemical production is extremely expensive. Deriving the drug from cultivated mushrooms is also prohibitive in terms of real estate and time. Through metabolic engineering, the team was able to successfully replicate it using a strain of E. coli that was engineered for safe use in laboratory settings.

DNA from the Psilocybe cubensis mushroom was transferred into the bacteria where it was able to reproduce relatively quickly in a process similar to fermentation. Over the course of the study, the method was optimized to improve yield of the drug from a few milligrams per liter to more than one gram per liter, demonstrating the feasibility of large scale production from a sustainable biological source.