SCIENCE IMPULSE

Fungi & Future

– About tea mushrooms, technologies and transformed systems

07.10.2025 — from 7 pm — MuseumsQuartier Room D

Lectures

Barrier-free access

German

Learn about the potential of mushrooms for your everyday life, your diet, and maybe even your future.

At the beginning Alex Plut will talk about “The silent revolution of the tea fungus”.What's the deal with the mysterious SCOBY—and why is kombucha suddenly bubbling everywhere? In his journey through the history, microbiology, and culture of this fermented beverage, Alex will explain why kombucha isn't a fungus and how a seemingly simple tea has become a silent rival to soft drinks and alcohol. Authentic, accessible, and with a wink, he'll shed new light on this cult beverage.

Afterwards Martin Reich, bioeconomy enthusiast and science communicator, will shed light on the transformative potential of fungi in his presentation. With fascinating insights into current research, new technologies and visionary developments, some of which are already becoming reality. They are neither animals nor plants, colonise almost every corner of the earth and yet lead a shadowy existence, away from the attention of most people: fungi. Although we have been using some of them since time immemorial, the vast majority of fungal species have hardly been researched or have not even been discovered yet. Yet these inconspicuous organisms hold solutions to the biggest problems of our time! From sustainable nutrition and the production of important medicines to innovative materials and the ultimate goal of harmonizing our economic system with the biosphere: we can achieve all this and more in the future with the help of fungi.

Venue

Room D is located in the Museum Quarter at Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna. Access is via Courtyard 8; the room is located on the ground floor. It's not far from the U3 Volkstheater station.

Speakers

Martin Reich

Martin Reich holds a doctorate in biology and has been working as a scientific speaker, consultant, and editor in Berlin since 2016. He advises politicians and businesspeople on bioeconomy and develops entertaining formats for science communication, especially in the areas of bioeconomy and nutrition. In his private life, he helped found the Eco-Progressive Network, a non-profit organization committed to evidence-based climate and environmental protection. He is also a board member of the environmental organization WePlanet and a member of the advisory board of the German Society for Synthetic Biology. His book "Revolution from the Microcosm" was published in 2024. In it, he describes how we can radically make our diets more sustainable through fermentation. He lives on the outskirts of Berlin with his wife and son, two cats, two turtles, and plenty of board games.

Alex Plut

Alex is an avid home cook, fermentation expert, and founder of BOOTCH. His passion for traditional beverages began during the coronavirus pandemic with homemade milk kefir in his shared kitchen and evolved through tepache and ginger beer to what is arguably the most traditional and, for him, most exciting beverage: kombucha.

With BOOTCH Kombucha, he has been pursuing a clear vision since the end of 2023: to create an honest beverage that is free of artificial additives – but instead convinces with depth, character, and attitude. Kombucha should not only taste good, but set a new standard: for enjoyment without alcohol, for variety beyond the monotony of soft drinks – and for a beverage culture that speaks of quality, not marketing.