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A project of end of career to a biotechnology company leading based in a enviable setting next to the river Almofrei in the province of Pontevedra – “Hifas da Terra” (HdT) – which employs a hundred people, and began to successfully commercialize nutritional supplements based on the properties of fungi in 2007. A few add-ons that are used to treat the cancer, digestive diseases, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune . This is the life journey of the hispanoestadounidense Catalina Fernández de Ana Portela, who was a professor of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) where he studied Biology, I challenge you to do something that would generate social improvements and outside innovative.

“I Grew up in the area of the mushrooms , I learned to categorize them, as well as to observe the world as a scientist”, he remembers about a childhood influenced by a father dedicated to the science: Francisco Fernández de Ana Magán, a co-founder of Hifas da Terra” and deputy permanent representative of Spain to FAO. The selected topic for the final project of career were precisely the benefits of mushrooms and fungi.

Several years of research later which ended up in this business venture in family , shared with his father and his partner Stephen Sinde Stompel, which, at present, he combines his responsibilities in the company with the presidency of the Technological Platform for Forestry in Galicia (Devesa). “We started with the add-ons medical, to which we have given the largest biotechnology available along with the most stringent controls pharmaceuticals: The market since 2007 and then what we did at the international level”, says the president of “Hyphae da Terra”, whose signature is already present in France, Italy, Portugal, Germany and the United Kingdom. Soon you will land in the united States, the country of origin of Fernández de Ana Portela. There think start this year, the sale of oncology of their products as an accompaniment to therapies.

production Laboratory – HIFAS DA TERRAEl “secret” of the fungi

Asked about the qualities of these add-ins, the main responsible of “Hyphae da Terra”, has explained that “the great secret of the mushrooms, when we take a snap-well-made, made with molecules very pure is that we give soldiers and generals of our immune system to be able to organize against viruses or cancer cells.” In this regard, he added that a nutritional complement is different from a drug and helps the body give a answer orderly.

“Hifas da Terra” is already present in France, Italy, Portugal, Germany and the United Kingdom. This year will land in the U.s.

All this, in full combat against the Covid-19, which seems to be disappearing from our lives. In this regard, Fernández de Ana Portela believes that “prevention is what can really do the citizen of on foot: try not to be infected by respecting all the measures of social distance and hygiene”. Something that also includes “having a strong immune system, and with the mushrooms, we see that it works,” he adds on a few add-ons that in times of confinement and overall, it has led to tripling the sales.

In this sense, “Hifas da Terra”, has been collaborating with the staff of the Hospital of Fuenlabrada (Madrid) to reinforce their defences in front of the Covid-19, as well as next to the template of residences of the third age “with a feedback awesome : patients who took them came out and are now in recovery all are hospitalized,” he says of a few supplements that will soon separate clinical trials for breast cancer and digestive.

View area of the central laboratories – HIFAS DA TERRA

in this regard, the co-founder of this company stresses that in the currently has a team of 12 people specialised in all areas of health, since the research has a strong weight in this signature reinvests in R & D 25% of their turnover . What’s the next step? The development of drugs based on this product of natural origin, “caring for the nature and with the maximum melcular” and for what you are already starting to patenting. In the opinion of Fernández de Ana Portela “the fungi are the ones that have really saved the world: the great drugs are made from them” and remember that penicillin has its origin in a species of fungus called “Penicillium”. A project for which are already open to capture external capital, even outside of Spain.

“The Government has to learn how to help”

Asked about the situation of “Hifas da Land” as a family business, the co-founder of the firm notes that it is “very hard” and launches into a criticism of certain attitudes of the authorities: “The Government has to learn to help the entrepreneur: a lot of times it’s the greatest impediment” , complains about a situation that does not work the single window and “is falling by the way people with a lot of capacity.”

The Spanish company attaches great importance to l research and invests in R & D 25% of your annual turnover

despite praising the excellent quality of life enjoyed in Galicia, the president of this company speaks of “laws of the 70’s in 2020: There are things that are incomprehensible, the industry is ahead of the law”, has found on a reality in which – in his opinion – continues to prevail, “the idea of entrepreneurs as exploiters”.