Chinese scientists breed high-yield mushroom strain aboard space mission

A new tremella strain, HT108, undergoes experimental trials at a mushroom research institute in Gutian county, Ningde city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. The new variety's fruiting bodies face downward, distinguishing it from the main variety, Gutian Tremella Tr21. (People's Daily Online/Li Weiyi)

A new tremella strain developed through space radiation breeding aboard China's Shenzhou-16 mission shows 10 percent higher productivity than its original variety.

"Compared to the main variety, the HT108 strain grows faster and contains more polysaccharides, while maintaining stable traits," said Sun Shujing, head of a mushroom research institute headquartered in Gutian county, Ningde city, southeast China's Fujian Province, which is a major tremella-producing area in China.

The institute, jointly established by Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University and Gutian county, announced the breeding developments on Nov. 25.

Sun Shujing (first from right), head of a mushroom research institute in Gutian county, Ningde city, Fujian Province, examines the growth of the new tremella strain HT108 with experts. (People's Daily Online/Li Weiyi)

Sun said researchers developed HT108 using the starting strain of Gutian Tremella Tr21, Fujian's primary tremella variety.

The specimen traveled to space aboard Shenzhou-16 on May 30, 2023, for radiation-induced breeding, yielding the mutated strain in May 2024.

The institute has conducted experimental trials and evaluations of HT108 at multiple tremella factories and mushroom facilities.

After four successful harvests, the strain shows promising commercial potential.

A side-by-side comparison shows the new tremella variety HT108 alongside the main variety, Gutian Tremella Tr21. (People's Daily Online/Li Weiyi)

The new variety produces yellow fruiting bodies with compact, well-formed clusters and thick, inward-curling folds, Sun explained.

The fresh weight of the new strain is 10 percent higher than the original, and its nutritional quality remains comparable, with no significant difference in the fruiting bodies, she added.

The total phenol and flavonoid content has increased by 55.56 percent and 60 percent, respectively, demonstrating higher yield and richer active ingredients.

"HT stands for Hangtian (aerospace). This strain spent five months in space and was later activated at our research institute, where it underwent two rounds of screening based on different criteria," Sun said.

Researchers record data for the new tremella variety HT108 at a yield measurement site. (People's Daily Online/Li Weiyi)