Tinder mushrooms, belonging to the genus Fomes, are a type of hard, woody fungi commonly found on decaying trees. A notable species, Fomes fomentarius, has potential applications in various modern industries, including the production of sustainable materials for construction, furniture design, and fashion accessories. Researchers are exploring its use in creating eco-friendly leather alternatives and innovative biocomposites. This mushroom's versatility highlights its significance in the pursuit of sustainable and renewable resources.
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Myco-Tetris
Myco-Tetris, a project by Alessandro Volpato, is an interactive initiative involving the public in manufacturing fungal composites, aiming to stimulate biotechnology research and encourage sustainable design. By engaging in activities like playing, building, and learning about fungi, visitors contribute to co-design efforts and applied research in fungal biotechnology.
As the course "Growing Microorganisms for Bioart Projects SoSe24," we are continuing with the Myco-Tetris project, and this document serves as our day-by-day documentation. The actual work spans four meetings, capturing our progress and insights throughout the process.
Day 0 Prepare Agar Medium Petri Dishes
The preparation of agar medium Petri dishes was already completed in advance, allowing the course participants to skip this step. For reference to the original experiment, please see Prepare Agar Medium Petri Dishes
Day 1 Prepare agar medium flat jars
Objective: Prepare a versatile nutritional medium for mushroom cultivation.
Materials: Flat jar, wadding, agar-agar, malt extract powder, marker, distilled water, pressure cooker, precision scale (0,1 g), aluminum foil.
Part 1: Calculate Ingredient Ratios
| Component | Quantity | Custom Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malt Extract (Nutrient source) | 2g | x | |
| Agar-agar (Footing for the growth - 3D support) | 2g | x | |
| Distilled water | 100ml | x |
Part 2: Weigh Ingredients And Mix Into Flask
- Use a scale to measure the required ingredients accurately.
- Construct a container using clean aluminum foil or paper.
- Combine the ingredients in a flask or jar, ensuring thorough mixing.
- Create a hole in the lid and insert cotton wadding to enable pressure cooking and facilitate air exchange for the mushrooms.
- Pour enough of the mixture into each container to cover the bottom adequately. (A thicker agar layer consumes more materials but prevents drying during long-term fridge storage.)
- Seal the jars and cover the lids with aluminum foil to prevent microbes from reaching the air filter later on.
Part 3: Sterilize In Pressure Cooker
- Add a few centimeters of water into the pressure cooker, ensuring the vessels are submerged but not floating. Close the cooker and reach the designated temperature and pressure point (121°C, 15 PSI). (Avoid using airtight containers in the pressure cooker to prevent bursting; always refer to the pressure cooker manual for proper usage.)
- Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil and keep it at the minimum temperature to ensure the water continues to boil.
- Wait for 40 minutes from the point when pressure and heat are reached.
- Turn off the heating source and allow the cooker to cool down naturally. HINT: Avoid releasing pressure suddenly as it may cause the medium to overboil.
- Once the cooker is slightly warm, release the remaining pressure (there should be none), open the lid, and carefully remove the medium.
- Let the jars cool down naturally before storing them in the fridge.
Part 4: Add Mycelium
For reference to the original experiment, please see Prepare agar medium flat jars
Day 2 Preparation of Grain Spawn
Objective: Prepare grain substrate in a jar to produce biomass.
Materials: pressure cooker, scale, distilled water, rice grains, gypsum (CaSO4 - calcium sulphate), spoon, plate with well-growing mycelium, scalpel, gloves, ethanol, jar, wadding
Step 1: Weigh Materials
| Component | Quantity | Component Quantity Custom Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| rice grain | 30 | multiplier | g |
| Calcium sulphate (gypsum) | (2%) 0.6g | multiplier | g |
Step 2: Soak rice Grains and Add Gypsum
- Pour boiling distilled water over rice grains and allow them to soak for a minimum of one hour to absorb the water fully.
- Drain any excess liquid.
- Combine the gypsum with the soaked rice grains, ensuring thorough mixing
- Transfer the mixture into a heat-resistant glass jar.
- Create a ventilation hole in the lid and insert cotton wadding for mushroom air exchange.
- Seal the jars and cover the lid with aluminum foil.
Step 3: Sterilize In Pressure Cooker
Step 4: Add Mycelium
Step 5: Incubate
For reference to the original experiment, please see Preparation of Grain Spawn
Day 3 Preparation of a Small Bag with Substrate
Objective: Prepare a sterile small bag to expand mycelium for fructification, fabrication, or as an inoculant for larger vessels.
Materials for 1 bag: See below, bucket that can hold 5 L (for mixing), jar with clean grain spawn, substrate, alcohol(?), autoclavable plastic bags, gloves, distilled water (approx. 2,5x the dry weight of the substrate).
For reference to the original experiment, please see Preparation of a Small Bag with Substrate
Day 4 Fabrication of a solid object made of mycelium composite materials
For reference to the original experiment, please see Fabrication of a solid object made of mycelium composite materials