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edible, medicinal mushrooms

Mushrooms are for more than salads and recipes. Their components are used in cosmetics, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, and bio-composite materials, such as vegan leather.

A new grant from the University of Houston Division of Research will fund a mushroom test beds at the University of Houston College of Technology at the Sugar Land campus to produce edible and medicinal mushrooms, as well as fungal mycelium for product research and development.

The $320,803 grant also will establish a training center and will bring together research faculty from several UH colleges, according to a story on the UH website.

“We will produce different mushrooms and extract compounds for use in research to treat things like cancer, tumors and depression,” Venkatesh Balan, associate professor in the College of Technology’s Department of Engineering Technology, said. He is collaborating with the College’s Driss Benhaddou and Weihang Zhu, both professors of engineering technology.

Internet of Things technology will improve mushroom farming productivity and efficiency as the growth chamber will be automated. Internet of Things refers to a network of objects that are connected and can exchange data through technologies such as sensors or software. The test bed will be located at near the College of Technology building. The three 8’ X 20’ insulated containers will be equipped with refrigeration and aeration. The first container will be used to process the agricultural residues, used as substrate for growing mushrooms. The second container will be used as an observation space and for data collection. The third container will be used to produce mycelium and mushrooms by controlling the environmental conditions, such as light, temperature, humidity and aeration. It is anticipated that 25-50 pounds of mushrooms can be harvested every three weeks.

“The mushrooms will be dried and ground to powder so the components can be extracted into oligosaccharides, proteins, lipids, polyphenols, and chitin for nutritional and skin care ap- plications,” Benhaddou said.

“The test bed also will be used to produce fungal mycelium used for producing biomaterial composites.”

Because the water, light and temperature of the test bed will be automated, the amount of water and energy required to produce the mushrooms will be more sustainable. It also will reduce the carbon footprint more than conventional farming methods. Additionally, growing the mushrooms in shipping containers will help small scale mushroom producers quickly set up and operate reliably and economically.

“We hope to attract the attention of large mushroom companies, as well as organize workshops for local farmers and practitioners,” said Zhu.

The UH Division of Research Lab Renovation/New Lab Grant was initiated to support the University’s research enterprises through targeted investments in existing labs or creation of small new labs, and to facilitate collaboration among faculty members from different colleges.

Still the Same Great

Barry Herman Cohn, devoted disciple of Christ, loving husband, father and proud grandfather, was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on Wednesday, February 1, 2023.

Barry was born in Louisville, KY, on October 18, 1946 to Alice Carter Cohn and Herman Cohn between siblings Maureen and Louis Franklin. Their family moved to Tampa when Barry was three years old. He thoroughly enjoyed living in the sunshine, going to the beach and having the joy and freedom of his boyhood in Florida. The family returned to Louisville when Barry was fifteen where he met his loving wife Glenna Mae Tyler, in their senior year of high school. They dated throughout college with Barry attending the University of Louisville where he graduated with a Chemical Engineering degree and Glenna attending Western Kentucky University. Barry and Glenna were married in 1968 and moved to Beaumont, Texas shortly after Barry’s graduation where he began his career with Mobil Oil.

Barry and Glenna enjoyed several years together in Beaumont where they were active at Amelia Church before welcoming Daniel Herman, Rebecca Rose and Rachel Allison into their young family.

Barry’s career took the family to Oklahoma where he worked for Phillips 66 and Champlin Refining, then back to Texas, back to Oklahoma, a brief year back with family in Kentucky then on to California working for Powerine Oil Co. Barry and Glenna relocated the family back to Texas to stay in 1988 when he joined Bechtel Engineering followed by Aspen Technology. He later retired from LyondellBasell. Barry’s time at

Bechtel and Aspen Tech blessed him with lifelong friends and took him and Glenna all over the world. They enjoyed many trips to Europe, Canada and Asia and Barry spent time in the Middle East and Latin America as well.

While Barry enjoyed his career, his pride and joy was his family; his wife, children and grandsons, Alexander (Xander), Chase and Mason. He was a devoted family man and loved discussing math and science with Xander, hearing about Chase’s football and lacrosse victories and watching Mason play baseball, taking him fishing & hearing his hunting stories.

Barry loved to spread the word of Jesus and lived his life with strong conviction. He is preceded in death by his father Herman Cohn, mother Alice Carter Cohn, and nephew Paul Wayne Severs. Barry leaves behind his devoted wife of 54 years, Glenna (Tyler) Cohn, son Daniel (Kim Macdonald Cohn), daughter Rebecca (Richard Stepp), daughter Rachel, and grandsons Xander Stepp, Chase Stepp and Mason Cohn, as well as his sister Maureen Cohn Severs and his brother Louis F. Cohn and his family. Barry is remembered with deep and abiding love and cherished happiness that we were a part of his time here on earth.

Visitation will be held Friday, February 17th, at 11:00am with the funeral service immediately following at 12:00pm at Sugar Land Baptist Church, 16755 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 followed by a family farewell at his graveside.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to: St. Jude: http://giftfunds.stjude. org/BarryHCohn Or MD Anderson Cancer Center online, or mail in checks to: Remember a Loved One P.O. Box 4470, Houston, TX 77210-4470

Please include Barry H. Cohn and fec22r when mailing in check donations. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.settegastkopf.com for the Cohn family.

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