Jakob Tanner, a pioneer in German-language body and drug history, discusses how the concept of 'Rausch' (ecstasy, trance, intoxication) can enrich the historiographical study of modern societies. In this interview, he examines theoretical and methodological approaches in drug history, emphasizing that the meanings of ecstatic states have shifted across historical contexts. Tanner highlights the interplay between language and ecstatic experience, critiques classical narratives, and points to new analytical tools. He repeatedly stresses how different historical actors ascribed changing meanings to states of intoxication, and he draws attention to the interrelationships among notions of 'Rausch', drug politics, and social power structures.
The structural diversity and genetic and enzymatic foundations of indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Basidiomycetes of Psilocybe spp. were investigated. Through in silico analyses and heterologous expression, the biosynthesis of psilocybin was elucidated, identifying the responsible genes and biochemically and phylogenetically characterizing the resulting enzymes. Psilocybin biosynthesis is catalyzed by four enzymes: L-tryptophan decarboxylase PsiD, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase PsiH, kinase PsiK, and N-methyltransferase PsiM, which are unique secondary metabolite enzymes whose substrate specificities revealed a sequence differing from the previously postulated pathway.