MYCO-MATERIALS WORKSHOP
An introduction to the wonderful world of
mushrooms and mushroom based materials!
Jessica Dias & Catherine Euale
S-BIOTICA // BIOBABES
@bio.babes
@formalisedcuriosities
@slimy_futures
WHAT IS MYCELIUM?
A single cell (hyphae) until it forms a multicellular fruiting body (mushroom)
Nature’s network - mycelium or a mycorrhizal network is found within soils and allows plants to communicate with one another, exchange nutrients and help decompose organic matter to break it up into soluble compounds as plant food.
It feeds on organic matter by releasing enzymes to help it digest the medium it grows on.
During this process it is able to fuse together the substrate, making it an excellent and natural binder for organic materials.
FUNGI, MUSHROOMS & MYCELIUM
The Fungi Kingdom - fungus (plural: fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms.
Mushrooms - A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source
Mycelium - Mycelium is the root-like vegetative part of the fungi, it is formed of a filamentous hyphal network that branches out, forming connections with other hyphae in search for nutrients and moisture from its surroundings
DIFFERENT STRAINS FOR DIFFERENT THANGS!
OYSTER (Pleurotus ostreatus)
Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus)
The pearl oyster mushroom or tree oyster
mushroom, is a common edible mushroom. It is
a great starter mushroom as it is easy to cultivate
and consumes almost anything!
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REISHI (Ganoderma lucidum)
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
The lingzhi mushroom is a polypore mushroom
belonging to the genus Ganoderma. Commonly
used to make myco-composites and leather like
materials. Can be digested as a tea and has
amazing health benefits!
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HORSE HOOF (Fomes fomentarius)
Horsehoof fungus (Fomes fomentarius)
The species produces very large polypore fruit
bodies which are shaped like a horse’s hoof and
vary in colour. The mushroom itself has been
used to make Amadou - a spongy leather
material
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PHEASANT BACK (Polyporus squamosus)
Pheasant Back (Polyporus squamosus)
Cerioporus squamosus aka Polyporus squamosus
is a basidiomycete bracket fungus, with common
names including dryad's saddle and pheasant's
back mushroom.
FUNGAL LIFE CYCLE Growth, death and rebirth...
MYCO-REMEDIATION & THE MAGIC OF MUSHROOMS!
As well as being nature’s digesters, Fungi have a range of wonderful properties and benefits.
Like bacteria, certain fungi strains have excellent bio-remediation properties, meaning they are able to digest particular toxins from soils and water and can be considered as a great natural filtering system in polluted
areas.
Mushrooms themselves possess powerful healing properties, and have been used as holistic alternatives for energy, as nootropics, immune boosting supplements, for focus and sleep aid.
Mycofiltration - Paul Stamets Medicinal mushrooms
COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS
Companies such as Ecovative and Mycoworks are taking advantage of mycelial binding properties, making use of agricultural waste or organic residue from another manufacturing process, and are spreading the awareness on Biotechnologies and encouraging designers and makers to design and cultivate their own pieces.
There are different techniques to produce different outcomes, each company and designer has their own protocols, species and nutrients for their desired outcome.
Ecovative - GIY kit Eric Klarenbeek
Mylo Bag Officina Corpuscoli
MYCO-COMPOSITES & MYCO-TEXTILES
Properties:
Acoustic and thermal insulation
Highly resistant to moisture and steam Water and mold resistant
Fireproof (can hold up to 800 ° C)
Biodegradable
Compostable
Stronger than concrete pound for pound Not toxic
Scalable
Versatile (materials like foam, bricks, textiles)
GARDEN OF MUSHROOM DELIGHTS
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THE MAGIC OF MYCELIUM
TESTING DEGRADABILITY OF MATERIAL COMPOSITE
BIO-COMPOSITES: MYCELIUM INOCULATED KOMBUCHA SCOBY
BIO-COMPOSITES: MYCELIUM INOCULATED KOMBUCHA SCOBY COMPLEMENTING MATERIAL PROPERTIES
ADDING SCAFFOLDING
3D PRINTED LABYRINTH: MYCELIAL LACE
Hyper Articulated Mycomorph
http://www.iaacblog.com/programs/hyper-articulated-mycomorph/
LASER CUTTING THE SUBSTRATE
3D PRINTING & MATERIAL EXTRUSION
PROCESS
PROCESS FOR BIOFABRICATING MYCO-COMPOSITES (from scratch)
1 - Cultivation in agar plates
Incubation period - 2 weeks
2 - Transfer to grain jars - Spawning (Optional) Incubation period - 3 weeks
3 - Transfer to bulk substrate
Incubation period - 2 weeks
4 - Mould design
A few hours
5 - Deposit into mould
Incubation period - 1 week
6 - Dehydration
A few hours
EQUIPMENT & TOOLS
Pressure cooker (autoclave)
Sterile workspace
Agar agar
Malt extract syrup or powder
Petri plates
Scalpel
Open flame / Bunsen burner
Glove box (optional)
Gloves
Alcohol
Mushroom Grow bags
Ziplock bags
Aquarium heater (optional)
Plastic wrap
micropore or parafilm
Large container
STERILE EQUIPMENT PROTOCOLS
Sterilisation is imperative whilst working with mycelium as it removes any traces of bacteria or moulds that could otherwise contaminate the substrate and prevent mycelium from fully colonising it.
Generally this can be done by disinfecting the surface you are working on and the tools you are using with Alcohol (at least 70 %), wearing correct clothing with hair tied back and working close to an open flame.
PREPARING AGAR
Malt Extract Agar is a good all rounder when it comes to agar recipes for most mushroom strains.
1. Mix all ingredients in a jar or blue capped bottle and sterilise the nutrient mix for 15 minutes in the autoclave - ensure that the lid is loose!
2. Disinfect the workspace with ethanol and place the bottle away from the bunsen burner
3. Allow the nutrient agar mix to cool just enough to be able to hold the bottle without burning your hand, light the bunsen burner and carefully pour the mix into Petri dishes working within the 10cm radius of the open flame.
MEA Recipe
200ml Distilled water 4g Agar
4g Malt extract
0.5g Charcoal
(optional)
CULTURE TRANSFER
4. Once the plates are solid (approx 10-15 minutes) continuing to work in the sterilised area, sterilise a scalpel with the flame until the blade is red hot, allow to cool within the sterilized perimeter and then slice either a pre-colonised agar plate or the inside of a fresh mushroom - a triangular shape is often the most effective way to slice. Carefully transfer this to the fresh plate. you may choose to repeat this 2-3 times for each plate.
5. Seal plates with either micro-pore or para-film and mark each plate with the date, mushroom strain and type of media. They are now ready for incubation.
INCUBATION
Incubation is a period where the conditions in which the mycelium is growing are controlled to optimise growth. These conditions vary depending on the growth phase or the mushroom strain.
The optimum temperature for growth in most cases is 24/25ºC.
Fresh & clean air exchange
Controlled humidity
Sterile environment
MYCELIATED
PLATE
After a few days of incubating, it should be clear that the mycelium is successfully growing on a plate. Allow the mycelium to fully colonise the plate before transferring to a fresh one. Continue this process to maintain a healthy culture!
BULK SUBSTRATE
Generally bulk substrates are less nutritious but larger in size then substrates used for spawning.
Good substrates are :
hemp husks
sawdust
straw
wood chippings
coffee grains
cow manure
wheat husks
and luckily most
organic matter.
BULK SUBSTRATE
Pasteurization
Unlike spawn, the bulk substrate, only needs pasteurising, which means it is heated at a high enough temperature to kill any nasty microbes, but leaves those that help protect the substrate whilst the mycelium colonises it.
The process generally occurs between temperatures of 70ºC - 80ºC for an hour and can be done using water in a boiling pot, in the oven or with steam.
Humidity / Moisture Content
It is worth noting that the substrate should maintain a level of humidity of about 70% as there is a danger of having too much water in the substrate which can attract unwanted contaminants. .
3D FORMING & MOULD DESIGN
Once the bulk substrate bags are fully colonised, the material can be made more malleable by adding flour and water to the bag, the amount depends on the size of the substrate bag.
Your mould can be designed out of almost anything from cardboard, wood, foam, silicone, plastic, even 3D printed forms, however flexible plastic works best.
With larger forms in particular, the key is to design openings distributed around the mould, this will allow airflow and guarantee uniform growth throughout.
Ensure the mycelium can breath by cutting small air holes where possible. Store and protect for a week (depending on the size of the mould) and then remove the formed material from the mould.
DEHYDRATION
Once the form is myceliated it is time to dehydrate it and deactivate the mycelium. For smaller samples, bake the mould in a food dehydrator or an oven on a heat of 50-70ºC for 1-2 hours until all moisture has evaporated.
For larger moulds the object can be placed in the sun with airflow (protected from insects and birds) or placed near a fan on low power.
When drying, its volume is reduced by 10% with the loss of water.
PROCESS FOR PRE-GROWN SUBSTRATE (GROWN.BIO)
1. Using gloves: Add material to sterile bowl and add flour (30g per kg).
2. Add sculpting mix if you want to shape it in a specific way (optional)
3. Breakup material with your hands and thoroughly mix in the flour. Make sure you crumble all lumps. 4. Take mould you want to grow your mycelium in
5. Desinfect mould and surface thoroughly
6. Add substrate and compress
7. Once filled, cover the mould with a plastic thin foil
8. Make small holes every 3cm, this allows the mycelium to breathe
9. Grow between 3- 5 days at 24° - 26° C
10. When it looks all white, take it out of the mould
11. Take it out gently and cover to continue growth (optional)
12. Dehydrate using a dehydrator, oven at low temperature or use fan (recommended only in hot climates)
WHAT CAN GO WRONG?
Contamination is when an unwanted bacteria or mould infects the substrate and the mycelium has to battle with it for nutrients, often preventing it from fully colonising it. Best ways to avoid hijacking contaminants:
- Always make sure to use a healthy spawn or agar plate when transferring to a new plate or bulk substrate
- Dispose of any plates, substrates or anything the contaminant has been in contact with
- Act with caution, disinfect everything, and avoid breathing into your workspace when transferring healthy mycelium.
- Incubate in a disinfected controlled space with temperatures of 24ºC and airflow. Reduce temperature and increase airflow of you find internal space overly humid.
GLOSSARY
Mycelium / Micelio: cuerpo vegetativo de los hongos.
Hyphae / Hifas: conjunto de filamentos pluricelulares - construyen ramificaciones sobre el sustrato. Substate / Sustrato: alimento que coloniza el micelio para obtener nutrientes.
Nutrients / Nutrientes: El micelio vivo acumula, almacena y redistribuye carbono, nitrógeno, fósforo y otros nutrientes. Para el cultivo de materiales utilizamos sustratos ricos en nutrientes (a base de carbohidratos, celulosa, cafeína o ricos en azúcares). Para crear cultivos podemos añadir malta o miel a un medio estéril.
Inoculation / Inoculación: proceso de introducir las esporas o micelio en el medio de cultivo estéril.
Agar plate / Placa de agar: placa de Petri que contiene un medio de cultivo (además de nutrientes como la malta para el micelio).
Autoclave (pressure cooker) / Olla a presión: recipiente hermético para cocinar. Puede alcanzar presiones más altas que la atmosférica. El cierre hermético de la olla permite subir la temperatura de ebullición por encima de 100 °C.
Mycoremediation / Micorremediación: forma de biorremediación, un proceso que usa hongos para degradar o retener los contaminantes en el ambiente. Pueden alimentarse de petróleo y pesticidas, sustancias orgánicas que convierte en hidratos de carbono simples.
USEFUL RESOURCES
Books
Mycelium Running - Paul Stamets
Radical Mycology - Peter McCoy
Mushrooms Demystified - David Arora
Food of the Gods - Terrence McKenna
Bio Design : Nature * Science * Creativity - William Myers
Weblinks
https://www.mycoworks.com/ - here you will find links to a lot of useful resources! https://www.madewithreishi.com/
https://ecovativedesign.com/
https://www.silviotinello.com/trilo-gallery
https://www.instagram.com/natura_studios/?hl=en
https://www.biohm.co.uk/materials
https://www.mycote.ch/
https://www.corpuscoli.com/
https://www.blast-studio.com/
https://www.mediamatic.net/en/page/184917/mycelium-knowledge https://www.nature.com/articles/srep41292
Projects
http://www.iaacblog.com/programs/claycelium/
https://issuu.com/ziyilidesign/docs/_ziyi_li_s3592315_drc-compressed http://www.iaacblog.com/programs/hyper-articulated-mycomorph/ https://www.behance.net/gallery/77767109/Fungi-Regeneration-System
Tutorials
https://biofabforum.org/t/method-of-making-mycelium-leather/218 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6nurN-Hii8
https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/pasteurize.html#sthash.zh1uGuvX.dpbs