Researchers sequenced the complete genome of Hericium coralloides, an edible medicinal mushroom, at the chromosome level for the first time. They identified genes responsible for producing terpenoids, which are beneficial compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. The study found that these beneficial compounds are produced in higher amounts in the mushroom’s mycelium (root-like structure) compared to fruiting bodies, which could help optimize mushroom cultivation for medicinal use.