Pumping your car full of fuel and the portobello mushrooms at your grocery store, until now, had very little to do with each other. Thanks to a discovery by a Plant Scientist from Montana State University named Gary Strobel, however, the future of fuel could lie in the field of fungi.

Strobel discovered a fungus living inside trees in the Patagonian rain forest that creates a new type of diesel, one with strong similarities to the diesel that we use for fuel in many vehicles. While the diesel-producing aspect of the fungus is important, scientists are especially excited by the way in which this particular fungus can both break down cellulose and synthesize the liquid fuel; meaning, in essence, that a time-draining and chemical-heavy process could be shortened by an entire step, a step that has been an obstacle in creating truly environmentally-friendly sustainable fuel sources from elements like corn.

So how soon can you expect this fungal wonder to be aiding you in your fill-up? Strobel makes it clear that the technology is still unknown and that his discovery is more of a jumping off point for what could be a crucial step in the world’s quest to create more renewable fuels. Still, scientists agree that the discovery is an important one and researchers for government agencies, private industry and other universities are already interested in working with the fungus and starting on the road to commercialization.

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