JP2021502827A - High homogeneity of mycological biopolymers grown in space - Google Patents

Abstract

The method for growing the biopolymer material includes the step of preparing a plurality of containers having cavities containing a growth medium containing a nutritional substrate and a fungus, and the step of arranging the plurality of containers in a closed culture chamber. Steps to maintain a closed culture chamber with a given environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and oxygen, and an air stream containing high content of carbon dioxide, through the culture chamber, in each of the vessels. With the steps directed to move over the growth medium inside, the fungus digests the nutrient substrate to produce a mycelium biopolymer composed of the complete mycelium of the fungus in each of the vessels. Includes a step of culturing the growth medium in each of the vessels for a sufficient period of time.

Description

This application is not a provisional patent application and claims the interests of provisional patent application 62 / 707,704 filed on November 14, 2017.

The present invention relates to a method for forming a biomaterial having higher homogeneity, strength and density than the mycological biopolymer described in Patent Document 1.

As described in Patent Document 1, the environmental conditions in order to produce fungal biological biopolymer products, namely, carbon dioxide (C0 ₂₎ and of high temperature high content (5-7% by volume) (85 95 ° F (29.4-35 ° C)) prevents the fungus from completely differentiating into mushrooms, and no stems, caps, or spores are produced. High temperatures accelerate tissue formation. The biopolymer product grows into the interstitial space of the tool, which is filled with undifferentiated mycelial chitin polymer, followed by extraction of the biopolymer product from the substrate and drying.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0033625

In general, the present invention allows the production of durable and flexible materials, which are leather, leather in many applications such as upholstery, apparel / fashion, military clothing, athletic clothing, and shoes. Used in place of materials such as, fibers, and high density and high strength foams.

The present invention is to grow mycological biopolymers under conditions where airflow is directed, to deposit solutes such as water and minerals on the surface of growing organisms, scrim. Alternatively, it involves growing in a multi-layer non-base matrix and varying the humidity profile during growth in order to induce a more homogeneous material to produce a range of material densities. Mycological biopolymer products are composed entirely of fungal mycelium.

A first embodiment of the invention is used to produce a mycological biopolymer, and the contained and inoculated growth medium is directed across at least one of the surfaces of the growth medium. Includes placement within a growth enclosure configured to deliver a stream of air.

In this embodiment, the method of growing the biopolymer material comprises the steps of preparing a plurality of containers, each of which has a cavity containing a growth medium containing a nutrient substrate and a fungus, and further. , A predetermined step of arranging a plurality of containers in a closed culture chamber and a step of maintaining the closed culture chamber so as to have a predetermined environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. The environment is sufficient to produce mycelial biopolymers while preventing the fungus from completely differentiating into mushrooms, and in addition, an air stream containing a high content of carbon dioxide is provided in the culture room. In the container, the mycelium biopolymer, which is composed of the complete mycelium of the fungus, digests the nutrient substrate with the steps of directing it to move over the growth medium in each of the containers through. Includes a step of culturing the growth medium in each of the vessels for a period sufficient to produce in each.

Each container is preferably placed in an "air flow box" in the culture chamber, whereby the height of the container interacts with the air flow, i.e. each container is a complete cut of the air flow box. It is submerged in an airflow box so that the area is used.

According to the present invention, the air flow is directed into the closed culture chamber and in the lateral or vertical direction of the vessel.

A second embodiment of the present invention deposits water and minerals on at least one of the growing surfaces in order to induce a range of density homogeneity based on the deposition capacity of water and minerals. Take advantage of controlling things.

In this embodiment, the method of growing a biopolymer material comprises the steps of preparing a plurality of containers, each of which has a cavity containing a growth medium containing a nutrient substrate and a fungus, and further. Culturing the mist, the step of placing multiple vessels in a closed culture chamber, the step of maintaining the closed culture chamber to have a given environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. Each of the vessels, with steps to disperse in the chamber and on the growth medium in each of the multiple vessels, and for a period sufficient to produce mycelial biopolymer in each of the vessels. Includes the step of culturing the growth medium in.

According to the present invention, the mist contains solutes such as water and minerals.

A third embodiment of the present invention involves the growth of mycological biopolymers in a scrim or multi-layer non-base matrix, wherein the crim or lofted non-base material is a base growth surface. It comes into direct contact with or is lifted above it and grows in the container without the use of a lid.

A fourth embodiment employs a variation in percent humidity over the duration of the cycle to induce a highly homogeneous, dense material.

A fifth embodiment uses a particular air flow rate to achieve a range of aerial mycelium density and mechanical performance.

In all embodiments of the invention, the mycological biopolymer is grown from the nutritional substrate into panels with a dry density of 0.5-4 pounds / cubic foot (8-64 kilograms / cubic meter). Except for embodiments that use scrim or multi-layer non-base matrix, local environmental conditions, ie, high carbon dioxide, are to be achieved in each panel and throughout the large growth chamber. The air, moisture deposits, and temperature contained should be homogeneous.

As further described in Patent Document 1, the use of lids has been required to control local environmental conditions that affect the growth of mycological biopolymers.

According to the present invention, under the directed air stream, the lid of the container is removed and the local environmental conditions are homogenized through the air stream. The use of airflow allows growth from all surfaces of the growth vessel and helps to improve the homogeneity and uniformity of the grown tissue. This is believed to be due to humidity, airflow promoting the supply of solutes such as water and minerals to growing tissues, abolition of the microenvironment and / or increased mechanical force. There are many applications for biological fibers and foams that require large volumes of homogeneous materials.

The growth environment used for the production of edible mushrooms, both specialty and agaricus, currently employs some uncontrolled airflow through the growth chamber, which heats, cools, and grows mushrooms. This is for the gas treatment of carbon dioxide generated by the above or the introduction of oxygen into the growth chamber. This airflow is an airflow technique adopted to prevent the differentiation of any and all fungi into fruiting bodies to make edible mushrooms and to provide a uniform environment for growing mycological biopolymers. Different from.

In addition, the airflow in mushroom cultivation is directed towards removing metabolic by-products such as carbon dioxide and other volatiles, and is in fact intermittent. The airflow used to grow the mycological biopolymer is directed to provide consistent homogenization of the culture environment without local variation, preventing mycelium from differentiating into mushrooms. Has well-controlled parameters (eg, high content of carbon dioxide). In addition, the air flow rate exerts a force to regulate the structure of the aerial mycelium, which affects the density.

Although the growth environment used for the production of edible mushrooms employs the use of airflow through the growth chamber, airflow is indirect and is part of the recirculation system for humidification of the environment. .. The airflow is not directed across the surface of the growth medium and is different from the case according to the present invention.

These and other objectives and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a photograph of the upper surface of a panel grown in a direct air flow environment with a large air flow rate and very little differentiation of tissue morphology according to the present invention. It is a photograph of the upper surface of a panel grown in an indirect air flow environment with a low air flow rate, including many differentiated tissues. It is a photograph of the upper surface of a panel grown in a zero air flow environment in which many differentiated tissues are generated and growth in air is small. A chart of treatment and density according to the present invention is shown. It is the schematic of the lateral air flow system by this invention. It is a perspective view of the air box used for the two-container type culture by this invention. It is the schematic of the modification of the lateral air flow system by this invention. It is the schematic of another modification of the lateral air flow system by this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a vertical airflow system according to the present invention that allows air to pass over the surface of a growth medium. It is a photograph of the upper surface of the panel grown by the vertical air flow system of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4A is a schematic view of the airflow pattern on the growth medium of the vertical airflow system of FIG. 4A. It is a schematic diagram of the mist distribution system by this invention. It is the schematic of the indirect air flow system for the recirculation of humidified air which is not according to this invention.

Referring to FIG. 3A1, in the first embodiment, the method for growing the biopolymer material employs a closed culture chamber 10, which comprises a plurality of vertically spaced shelves 11 and a culture chamber. It has a transparent front wall (not shown) for viewing the interior of the 10.

In addition, an airflow system 12 is connected to the culture chamber 10 and directs an airflow laterally across the culture chamber 10 from one side of the culture chamber 10 to the other side, as indicated by the arrow 13. .. As shown, the airflow system 12 includes a manifold M in the upper part of the culture chamber 10 that disperses the humidified air over the entire upper part of the culture chamber 10, whereby the humidified air descends the plurality of shelves 11 in the vertical direction. Then, it is recirculated for re-humidification at the lower right.

Each shelf 11 of the culture chamber 10 is sized to accommodate air box B, which houses two containers 14, each container 14 containing a growth medium 15 consisting of a nutrient substrate and a fungus. Contain.

Referring to FIG. 3A2, each container 14 has the form of a rectangular tray open upwards and has a cavity measuring 11.5 inches x 18.5 inches (29.21 cm x 46.99 cm). Has a 1 inch (2.54 cm) lip around the entire container that extends along the perimeter of the cavity. Each container 14 is arranged in an air box B.

The vessel 14 is made of a sufficiently rigid non-reactive material such as polycarbonate, and the orifice of the vessel is paired with an air flow device to achieve the desired air flow rate. The length of the vessel and the air flow rate affect the consistency of the air flow, and the inlet length before the air flow reaches the growing part is provided to control the laminar or turbulent nature of the air flow. .. The vessel may include ramps, shaped plates such as airfoils, or baffles that aid in flow homogenization.

The air box B has a rectangular shape for receiving the growth tray 14, and has an open side surface 16 on one end surface and an orifice 17 smaller than the side surface on the opposite end surface.

The airflow system 12 includes a fan 12'located at the orifice 17 of each air box B, which pumps air into the growth medium 15 and growth portion in the vessel 14, as indicated by the horizontal arrow. Pull on. The orifice 17 is covered by a fan 12', thereby ensuring that all air passes through the fan 12'. As a modification, the fan 12'may be positioned on the open side surface 16 of the air box B to push air onto the growth medium 15.

As described above, the humidified air descending from the manifold M enters each air box B through the orifices 16 and 17 and passes through the air box B.

Specifically, the growth medium 15 contains a base material enclosed in a bag and an inoculation material, and the material of the base material and its approximate amount are 6000 g of corn foliage, 1440 g of poppy seeds, 256 g of maltodextrin, and sulfuric acid. 80 g of calcium and 16000 g of urban water, and the inoculum and its approximate amount are Ecovative strain ID 045-08-003 spawn 2880 g.

During the method of growing the biopolymer material, the culture chamber 10 is maintained in a predetermined environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen. Specifically, the culture chamber 10 is maintained at a variable temperature of 99% relative humidity (RH), 5% CO ₂ , and 85-95 ° F (29.4-35 ° C) during the culture step. To.

The culture chamber 10, i.e., the growth enclosure, is open at one end and at the other end is provided with a fan or device for laterally moving air over the vessel 14 as indicated by the arrow 13. Often installed, the movement of air is either pulling or pushing the air with a steady flow or pulsating flow with a flow rate in the range of 5 to 10,000 cubic feet / minute (141.6 to 283168 liters / minute). by. The culture chamber 10 should be in a larger culture chamber (not shown) capable of maintaining environmental conditions including humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen.

The shape and structure of the culture chamber 10 may be specially made to aid in the direction of the air flow and the characteristics of the laminar or turbulent flow of the air flow.

A process step of directing a lateral air stream will be described with reference to FIG. 3A1.

1. 1. The nutrient growth medium and the organism inoculum 15 are packed in a plurality of containers 14. This is the same as that described in Patent Document 1, except that the container 14 does not have a lid.

2. 2. The plurality of containers 14 are arranged in a plurality of air boxes B on the shelves 11 of the enclosed culture chamber 10.

3. 3. As shown by the arrow 13, the air flow is directed by the air flow system 12 so as to pass through the culture chamber 10 and is passed laterally over the growth medium 15 in each container 14.

4. The growth medium 15 in each container 14 is cultured in each container 14 for a period sufficient to generate a panel P of mycelial biopolymer, for example, the panel is cultured in the culture chamber 10 for 4 to 14 days. Grow.

An air stream is generated by a fan mounted in the culture chamber 10 and directed over the container 14 and returned to a larger culture space.

With reference to FIG. 1A, a pair of panels 17 produced by the method described above is composed entirely of fungal mycelium and shows minimal differentiation of tissue morphology.

With an air flow rate of 100 cubic feet / minute (2832 liters / minute) at a constant relative humidity of over 99%, a dry density of 1.98 pcf (31.7 Kg / m ³ ) and a tensile strength of 17.5 psi (120658 Pa). Produced tissue to have. These panels showed a high degree of consistency.

At an air flow rate of 100 to 175 cubic feet / minute (2832 to 4955 liters / minute), reducing the relative humidity to 96% for 48 hours results in a dry density of 1.45 pcf (23.2 Kg / m ³ ) and A structure with a tensile strength of 13.6 psi (93769 Pa) was produced. These grown panels produced a high degree of consistency.

Air flow rates of 300-350 cubic feet / minute (8495-9911 liters / minute) and constant relative humidity of over 99% have a dry density of 3.32 pcf (53.2 kg / m ³ ) and 31.2 psi (215116 Pa). Produced a structure with tensile strength of.

With reference to FIG. 1B, the pair of panels generated in the absence of directed airflow is characterized by having many differentiated tissues.

Referring to FIG. 1C, pairs of panels grown in a zero airflow environment are characterized by having many differentiated tissues and low aerial growth.

Referring to FIG. 3B, similar reference numerals refer to the same parts as those described above, and the culture chamber 10 is configured to have a plurality of shelves 11 (or racks) separated in the vertical direction and have an extended length. Surrounded by a sheet material (not shown) for cooperation with the container 14, each shelf 11 is configured to receive an air box B containing only a single container 14.

In addition, a lateral airflow system 12'is attached to the culture chamber 10 and has a fan, which, as indicated by the arrow 18, brings airflow from the culture environment into the air box B and above the container 14. It is attached to the culture chamber 10'to return to a larger culture space.

With reference to FIG. 3C, similar reference numerals refer to the same parts as those described above, the culture chamber 10'has an open shelf 11 and the container 14 containing the growth medium 15 uses an air box. It is placed on the shelf 11 without any problems. In addition, a transverse airflow system has a fan (not shown) mounted in the culture chamber 10'and located on the right side of the culture chamber 10', which allows the airflow to flow in the culture chamber 10'. Pull it in and take it out, and let it pass over the container 14 in the lateral direction.

With reference to FIG. 4A, similar reference numerals refer to the same parts as those described above, and growth of the mycological biopolymer is achieved by passing an air stream up and down the container 14.

For example, the enclosed culture chamber 10'equipped with one or more airflow devices (not shown) that push the conditioned air onto the growing mycelium. Positioned above the growth medium 15 so as to pull. Is the airflow device 12 as shown in FIG. 4A statically held at a desired height above the growth vessel 14'? , Either modularized over a linear actuator (not shown) over the course of growth.

As shown, two containers 14'are positioned on each shelf 11 in the culture chamber 10', each container 14'has a vertical spacer 18, and the vertical spacer 18 is a cover 19. Separating the (roof) from the container 14'The vertical spacer 18 is made of a non-reactive substrate such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and has sufficient rigidity to resist the force of the air flow device.

The culture chamber 10 "is open at one end and a fan is attached to the other end, where the fan blows air over the container 14'in the direction perpendicular to the growth surface, as indicated by the arrow 13". A device for moving air to, pulling or pushing air with a steady or pulsating flow with a flow rate in the range of 5 to 10,000 cubic feet / minute (141.6 to 283168 liters / minute). by.

The culture chamber 10 "should be located in a larger culture chamber (not shown) capable of maintaining environmental conditions including humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the culture chamber 10 when air is pulled upwards above the growing surface as shown in FIG. 4C, rather than across the growing portion as shown in FIG. 1A. The panel of mycological biopolymers produced within "is characterized by having a concentration of mycelium below the airflow device. As shown in FIG. 4B, the airflow device allows air to grow in the medium. When pulled upward from the central region of the panel, the growing mycelium was concentrated in the central region of the panel.

The process step of directing the vertical air flow will be described with reference to FIG. 4A.

1. 1. Nutrient growth medium and organism inoculum are packed in a plurality of containers 14 ", which is the same as described in Patent Document 1 except that the container 14" does not have a lid.

2. 2. A plurality of containers 14 "are placed in the enclosed culture chamber 10".

3. 3. The air flow is directed by the air flow system 12 so as to pass through the culture chamber 10 "as indicated by the arrow 13", and is passed vertically through the growth medium in each container 14 ".

4. The shape and design of the growth enclosure may be specially made to aid in the direction of the air flow and the characteristics of the laminar or turbulent flow of the air flow.

5. The growth medium 15 in each container 14 "is cultured in each container 14" for a period sufficient to produce a panel of mycelial biopolymers, for example 4 to 4 in the culture chamber 10 ". Grow for 14 days.

6. Air movement is utilized to shape and structure the material into specific shapes and patterns during growth for final products shaped using airflow.

In step 6 above, the drawn horizontal air flow (greater than 175 cubic feet / minute (4955 liters / minute)) forms a dense scallop-like (corrugated) pattern. The vertical airflow forms a structure below the airflow device that has a morphology consistent with the airflow (a morphology pulled upwards like a stalagmite on the floor of a limestone cave). A corrugated pattern that opposes the air flow (160 cubic feet / minute (4530 liters / minute)) is formed by pressing. The approach to the air flow device and the air flow pattern generate a tissue pattern similar to the air flow.

By referring to FIG. 2 showing the graph, it was found that the water and solute content of the growth medium was directly related to the density of the growing material. The higher the water content, the lower the density of the grown material, a tendency that was shown beyond the classification of substrate types.

FIG. 2 shows three other substrate types compared to the four different water contents of the corn foliage material. This causes a change in the density of the final product, and the higher the water content, the lower the density of the structure.

Tukey-Kramer is a mean comparison test that determines significant differences between tests. 0.05 is the confidence interval and thus there is 95% confidence in the relationship between the data.

The ability of fungal cells to fill the interstitial space depends on the water and solutes available to the growing organism. The more water available, the more aggressively the organism can expand, thereby reducing the density of the material.

Thus, with reference to FIG. 5A, a similar reference code points to the same component as described above, and the mist dispersion system 21 was attached to the enclosed culture chamber 20 thereby producing a mycological biopolymer. Moisture and solutes are imparted to the growing tissue via multiple pathways for the purpose of producing various material density ranges in.

As shown, the culture chamber 20 has a plurality of shelves 21 separated in the vertical direction and a transparent front wall (not shown) for viewing the inside of the culture chamber 20. The culture chamber 20 is sized to accommodate a plurality of containers 14, each container 14 being filled with growth medium 15.

As mentioned above, the culture chamber 20 may be arranged in a larger culture chamber so that uniform environmental conditions including humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and oxygen can be maintained.

The mist dispersion system 21 is positioned to supply solutes such as water and minerals to the top surface of the growing tissue in each container 14 and also controls material density and material homogeneity. Good to be used to adjust. This material is composed of aerial hyphae, which grow out of a nutritious space and enter a non-nutritive environment. To control growth in such an environment, the organism employs the use of turgor pressure to regulate hyphal expansion at the apex or hyphal tip. Thus, by adjusting the amount, dispersion, and / or droplet size of available water and solute deposited over the top surface of the growing material, an osmotic gradient formed within the hyphae, followed by the hyphae. It is good to control the growth rate and the pattern of colony formation.

Solutes are any chemicals that can generate osmotic potential. Reverse osmosis (RO) water or distilled water does not contain such chemicals. Other solutes may include proteins, carbohydrates, polymers and minerals.

Solutes are materials that create osmotic potential in solution. The solute may be a mineral, carbohydrate, protein, or lipid. The concentration of solute on one side of the membrane, such as the cell membrane and / or cell wall, creates the potential to cross the membrane if the solution on the other side of the membrane has a lower concentration than the solute.

Moisture and solute deposition may be employed to achieve a particular material density and increase material homogeneity.

A water tank equipped with a "puck" that atomizes the water into steam or mist should be used to disperse the water and solutes over the growing surface of the growth medium. A "humidifying pack" is an ultrasonic humidifier that produces low quality, liquid-rich, liquid-rich droplets in the dimensional range of 5 to 22 microns. Water droplets, which are liquids, are important because, unlike vapors, the droplets can carry solutes. The same is true for sprays or bubblers, which cannot be achieved with steam. Steam is used to regulate humidity, but not as a substitute for water that carries solutes.

The mist is dispersed over the surface of the growth medium using an indirect air flow from a fan or similar device, or by a spray nozzle, which releases moisture out of the nozzle to grow. It is connected to compressed air or other means directed at the growing surface of the medium.

The amount, dispersion, and droplet size of water and minerals are adjusted to produce homogeneous mycelial biopolymers of varying densities.

Percent humidity fluctuations during the growth cycle may be adopted as a way to increase the density and homogeneity of the material. In the method described in Patent Document 1, the humidity was kept constant over the duration of the growth cycle in order to achieve the growth of the material. This example is modified to increase density and homogeneity by varying the humidity of the culture chamber at the target stage during the growth cycle.

A moist environment is generally required for the fungus to grow. Many strains have developed methods to protect themselves against wet loss when encountering arid environments. For aerial hyphae, a local high humidity environment is needed to allow continuous expansion and prevent the hyphae from collapsing towards the growing surface. Humidity fluctuations in the growth chamber are used to provoke a physiological response of the organism to a dry environment and to manipulate the growth of aerial hyphae to obtain the desired material properties.

A system design was prototyped that allowed controlled deposition of mist on the growing material without the use of airflow and tested in the culture chamber of FIG. 5A. The prototype of this mist system distributed a uniform volume of mist evenly over the growing material, similar to a controlled airflow system with high air flow. The mist system uses an SF1010SS siphon-fed spray nozzle, a fan-shaped spray of fine water droplets of the same size as the same MycoFlex® control technology used in the method described in Patent Document 1. An "atomizer" was used that released the entire growth surface of the experimental section without the use of direct airflow.

An atomizer mist system was installed to position the nozzle 26.5 inches (67.31 cm) from the wall of the culture chamber to the right of the target growth surface. The nozzle was fixed above the target container 14 at a 45 degree angle to the shelf 11 and rotated 90 degrees to create a fan-shaped spray pattern directed up and down. Using a mist example of 2.4% time mist over 1 minute, a target total volume of water of 0.28 ± 7 microsiemens / centimeter (μS / cm) per minute, and 0.00014 g / The target deviation of moisture over the surface of the minute panel was achieved. The target volume was based on the TDS values collected in the direct air flow culture system with high air flow rate in FIG. 3A1.

This atomizer mist system was tested on biomass to assess the effects of airflow-independent moisture deposition. Seven parts were placed in a research incubator equipped with an airflow-free atomizer mist system (Fig. 5A).

Humidification of this system was achieved by the moisture introduced into the system with an atomizer.

Two control incubators were run simultaneously using standard biopolymer humidification systems and environmental conditions. One control incubator was set up using a standard direct air flow box system with high air flow and a humidified recirculation system (Fig. 3A1), and the other control incubator was re-humidified air. It was adopted only for the indirect air flow with a small air flow rate used for circulation (Fig. 5B). Set all three incubator, during the growth of 9 days, relative humidity 99%, CO ₂ 5%, the standard biopolymer environmental conditions change temperature 85~90 ° F (29.4~32.2 ℃) did.

Direct airflow with high air flow increased the homogeneity of growth within the panel throughout the incubator, allowing the production of the panel of FIG. 1A with minimal differentiation of tissue morphology.

The zero air flow incubator equipped with the atomizer mist system produced a panel with small capacity and many differentiation due to vertical growth (Fig. 1C). Panels grown by this technique have points with "spherical parts" or bundles of hyphal fibers 0.1 to 1 inch (0.25 to 2.54 cm) in diameter, and separate densities with little connective tissue. Characterized by having a region.

Indirect air flow incubators with low air flow also produced many differentiated materials and reduced aerial growth, but increased capacity due to vertical growth (FIG. 1B). Panels grown by this technique are "spherical parts" of mycelial fibers 0.6 inches (1.52 centimeters) in diameter or larger, eg 0.6-4 inches (1.52-10.16 centimeters). Or it is characterized by having a bundle. By comparison, the "spherical portion" of the hyphal fibers in the panel of FIG. 1C is less than 0.6 inches (1.52 centimeters).

In addition, the panel of FIG. 1B has less connective tissue and produces a homogeneous aesthetic, but produces non-uniform performance. Characterized by. This means that even if the surface looks smooth, the mechanical performance can vary over the cross section of the part.

The growth environment of the direct air flow with high air flow resulted in a significantly homogeneous panel with very little differentiation throughout the panel (Fig. 1A).

Next, the process steps of depositing water and minerals on the surface of a growing material will be described.

1. 1. A nutritious growth medium and an organism inoculum were packed in container 14. This is the same as that described in Patent Document 1, except that the container 14 does not have a lid.

2. 2. A plurality of containers 14 were placed in a culture chamber 10 maintained under predetermined environmental conditions including humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen.

3. 3. Moisture and minerals were dispersed over the growth surface of the growth medium in multiple vessels using a water tank equipped with a humidification pack that atomizes the water into steam or mist.

4. Panels were grown in culture chamber 10 for 4-14 days.

Next, the adjustment of water and minerals in the substrate for controlling the tissue density will be described.

Tests were conducted to determine the effect of adjusting the density of panels of mycological biopolymers produced to adjust the water and minerals in the substrate (growth medium) prior to culturing in the enclosed culture chamber. It was.

One test used the following steps.

1. 1. Nutrient growth medium and organism inoculum were packed in multiple containers 14. This is the same as that described in Patent Document 1, except that the container 14 does not have a lid.

Moisture and minerals were distributed in the growth medium to achieve a particular moisture content between 2.20 and 95%.

3. 3. The growth medium 15 in each container 14 was cultured in each container 14 for a period sufficient to generate a panel of mycelial biopolymer, and the panel was cultured in the culture chamber 10 for 4 to 14 days.

The results of the test were able to adjust the amount of water and minerals in the growth medium prior to placement in the culture chamber to produce a homogeneous panel of mycological biopolymers of the desired density. In particular, a 65% water content on the corn foliage substrate gives rise to a density of 1.7 pcf (27.2 Kg / m ³ ) and a 55% water content of 2.7 pcf (43.2 Kg / m). The density of ³ ) was generated.

In another embodiment, the mycological biopolymer may be grown in a scrim or multi-layer non-base matrix. In this embodiment, the scrim or multi-layer non-base matrix may be organic or inorganic in nature and is porous enough for mycelium to enter the material. Have. The scrim or multi-layer non-base matrix was placed on or above the nourishing base and the entire assembly was cultured in one of the forms described above. Scrims or multi-layer non-base materials can be used as reinforcements for mycelia, as a means of directing orienting tissue growth, as a method for reliably removing grown tissue from nutrient base materials, or these. Used as a combination of.

In a fourth embodiment, percent humidity variation is utilized over the growth period over the duration of the cycle to produce a highly homogeneous high density material. In this embodiment, the relative humidity is maintained at a high percentage during the period of aerial induction of mycelium starting between 0 and 5 days of growth. Once the mycelium is induced, the humidity is reduced to less than 98% over a period of 4 to 72 hours, inducing densification of the tip tissue. Humidity is then raised again to induce newly differentiated growth, providing a range of densities, tissue morphologies, and orientations across the cross section of the product. This may be repeated as many times as necessary to obtain the desired change in performance due to the mycological foam.

In a fifth embodiment, a particular air flow rate is used to achieve a range of aerial mycelium density and mechanical performance. In this embodiment, the air flow rate is passively adjusted in the growth of the tissue by setting the air flow rate to a constant flow rate, or the air flow rate is adjusted throughout the culture process to grow. Deliver a constant flow rate over the tissue. The higher the air flow rate, the higher the density of the tissue, and the lower the air flow rate, the lower the density and height of the structure when dried.

Claims (13)

A way to grow biopolymer materials
Each of the plurality of containers comprises a step of preparing a plurality of containers, each of which has a cavity containing a growth medium containing a nutrient substrate and a fungus.
Further, a step of arranging the plurality of containers in a closed culture chamber, and
The predetermined environment comprises the step of maintaining the closed culture chamber to have a predetermined environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and oxygen, the predetermined environment preventing the fungus from completely differentiating into mushrooms. While the environment is sufficient to produce mycelial biopolymers,
Further, a step of directing an air stream containing a high content of carbon dioxide through the culture chamber and over the growth medium in each of the vessels.
A growth medium is placed in each of the containers for a period sufficient for the fungus to digest the nutrient substrate to produce a mycelium biopolymer composed of the complete fungal mycelium in each of the containers. And methods that include culturing in. The method of claim 1, wherein the air stream is directed into the closed culture chamber and laterally of the container. The method of claim 1, wherein the air stream is directed into the closed culture chamber and in the vertical direction of the container. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of containers are vertically arranged in the culture chamber in a plurality of rows separated in the vertical direction. 4. During the culturing step, the predetermined environment is maintained at 99% relative humidity, 5% carbon dioxide, and a fluctuating temperature of 85-95 ° F (29.4-35 ° C). The method described in. The method of claim 5, wherein the air stream is directed into the closed culture chamber and laterally of the container. The method of claim 5, wherein the air stream is directed into the closed culture chamber and in the vertical direction of the container. The method of claim 1, wherein the air flow is a pulsatile flow during the culturing step. The method of claim 1, wherein the air stream contains at least 5-7% by volume of carbon dioxide. A way to grow biopolymer materials
Each of the plurality of containers comprises a step of preparing a plurality of containers, each of which has a cavity containing a growth medium containing a nutrient substrate and a fungus.
Further, a step of arranging the plurality of containers in a closed culture chamber, and
A step of maintaining the closed culture chamber to have a predetermined environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.
A step of dispersing the mist in the culture chamber so as to move over the growth medium in each of the plurality of containers.
Sufficient period for the fungus to digest the nutrient substrate to produce a mycelial biopolymer composed of complete fungal mycelia in each of the containers, without substantial morphological changes. A method comprising culturing a growth medium in each of the above containers. The method of claim 9, wherein the mist contains water and a solute. The method of claim 10, wherein the solute is a mineral. During the culturing step, aerial hyphae are grown outward from each of the vessels and a mist of adjusted amount and / or solute distribution is applied in the air to obtain a given material density and material homogeneity. The method according to claim 9, wherein the hyphae are dispersed on the upper surface of the mycelium.

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