U.S. patent application number 16/419904 was filed with the patent office on 2019-11-28 for process and apparatus for producing mycelium biomaterial.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ecovative Design LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Ecovative Design LLC. Invention is credited to Peter James Mueller, Meghan Anne O'Brien, Jacob Michael Winiski.
Application Number | 20190359931 16/419904 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 68615076 |
Filed Date | 2019-11-28 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190359931 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mueller; Peter James ; et
al. |
November 28, 2019 |
Process and Apparatus for Producing Mycelium Biomaterial
Abstract
The process for producing mycelium biomaterial provides two
phases of incubation. In a first phase of fungal expansion, the
fungal inoculum is allowed to expand and dominate the substrate. In
a second phase, nutrient is added to the inoculated mixture to
allow the fungal inoculum to bond the discrete particles into a
self-supporting biocomposite. The process allows for the processing
of grown materials in separate vessels with the second vessel
providing the final shape of the biomaterial.
Inventors: |
Mueller; Peter James;
(Poestenkill, NY) ; Winiski; Jacob Michael; (Troy,
NY) ; O'Brien; Meghan Anne; (Halfmoon, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ecovative Design LLC |
Green Island |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ecovative Design LLC
Green Island
NY
|
Family ID: |
68615076 |
Appl. No.: |
16/419904 |
Filed: |
May 22, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62675922 |
May 24, 2018 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C12N 1/14 20130101; A01G
18/22 20180201 |
International
Class: |
C12N 1/14 20060101
C12N001/14 |
Claims
1. A process for producing mycelium biomaterial comprising the
steps of mixing a substrate of discrete particles of wood chips
characterized in having a low nutrient content of lignocellulose,
and a fungal inoculum from the division of Basidiomycota to form a
first pourable mixture; incubating said mixture in a first phase of
fungal expansion for a time and at a temperature sufficient to
allow said fungal inoculum to expand and dominate said substrate;
thereafter mixing said incubated mixture with added nutrients to
form a second pourable mixture; incubating a predetermined height
of said second mixture in a second phase of fungal expansion for a
time and at a temperature sufficient to allow said fungal inoculum
to bond said discrete particles into a self-supporting
biocomposite; and thereafter desiccating said biocomposite to form
a mycelium biomaterial.
2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said substrate
comprises Aspen wood chips and said fungal inoculum is one of
Ganoderma lucidum and Trametes versicolor.
3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first phase of
fungal expansion occurs in a first vessel having a cavity receiving
said first mixture.
4. A process as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second phase of
fungal expansion occurs in a second vessel having a cavity larger
than said cavity of said first vessel and said self-supporting
biocomposite has a shape conforming to said cavity of said second
vessel.
5. A process as set forth in claim 5 wherein said self-supporting
biocomposite is in the shape of a block and which further comprises
the step of cutting said block-shaped biocomposite into thin sheets
having a thickness of up to 4 inches.
6. A process for producing mycelium biomaterial comprising the
steps of mixing a substrate of discrete particles of wood chips
characterized in having a low nutrient content of lignocellulose,
and a fungal inoculum to form a first pourable mixture; dispensing
said mixture into a vessel to fill said vessel to a predetermined
height within said vessel; incubating said mixture within said
vessel in a first phase of fungal expansion for a time and at a
temperature sufficient to allow said fungal inoculum to expand and
dominate said substrate; thereafter mixing said mixture with added
nutrients to form a second pourable mixture; dispensing said second
pourable mixture into a second vessel; incubating said second
pourable mixture within said second vessel in a second phase of
fungal expansion for a time and at a temperature sufficient to
allow said fungal inoculum to bond said discrete particles into a
self-supporting biocomposite; and thereafter desiccating said
biocomposite to form a mycelium biomaterial.
7. A process as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second vessel has
a cavity of predetermined three dimensional shape to receive said
second pourable mixture and said biocomposite conforms to said
shape.
8. A process as set forth in claim further comprising the step of
placing inserts into said second vessel prior to said step of
dispensing said second mixture into said second vessel to define a
plurality of cavities for dispensing of said second pourable
mixture thereinto.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application 62/675,922, filed May 24, 2018.
[0002] This invention relates to a process for producing mycelium
biomaterials. More particularly, this invention relates to a
multi-phase process for producing mycelium biomaterials.
[0003] The growth of materials bound together with the mycelium of
filamentous fungus is known art, particularly, as described in U.S.
Pat. No. 9,485,917.
[0004] As is known, fungi operate primarily on oxygen consuming
metabolic pathways. Fungi generate carbon dioxide and heat through
the same metabolism, both of which can be toxic to further growth
of the mycelium. The rate of fungal metabolism, and therefore, the
rate of toxin build up, depends on the nutrient types and
availability.
[0005] Fungi are limited in the ability to transport oxygen from an
area of high availability to a restricted area, due to not having
developed respiratory and circulatory transport systems such as are
present in animals. Fungi are also limited in their ability to
expel build ups of toxic carbon dioxide and heat, again due to a
lack of an organism level effective gas or fluid transport
mechanism
[0006] In practice, these limitations mean that grown materials
bound by mycelium are limited in their overall volume, based on
rates of free diffusion of heat and gases. For simple tray based
growth, depths of greater than 6'' from an oxygen rich surface are
difficult to achieve. Additionally, quantities of material must be
separated in such a way as to enable heat removal, such as by
filling into 10 lb bags which are spaced apart on racking with air
flowing around the grouping of bags, which severely restricts
operational efficiency in large scale manufacturing. One successful
method of overcoming these limitations in aerobic fermentation
methods is to regularly stir the material and fungal colony;
however, when the generation of a fully formed bound material is
the objective, this method of stirred fermentation is
counterproductive.
[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to produce
mycelium biomaterials in a relatively simple manner.
[0008] It is another object of the invention to reduce the process
cost and complexity of producing mycelium biomaterial.
[0009] Briefly, the invention provides a process for producing
mycelium biomaterial that comprises a first phase wherein a
substrate of discrete particles and a fungal inoculum are mixed to
form a first pourable mixture and the mixture then subjected to a
first phase of fungal expansion for a time and at a temperature
sufficient to allow the fungal inoculum to expand and dominate the
substrate.
[0010] The process also comprises a second phase wherein the
mixture from the first phase is mixed with added readily available
nutrients to form a second pourable mixture and a predetermined
height of the second mixture is incubated in a second phase of
fungal expansion for a time and at a temperature sufficient to
allow the fungal inoculum to bond the discrete particles into a
self-supporting biocomposite. The biocomposite is thereafter
desiccated to form a mycelium biomaterial.
[0011] The invention also provides an apparatus for producing
mycelium biomaterial. This apparatus includes a first vessel having
a cavity for receiving a pourable mixture of discrete particles and
a fungal inoculum and a second larger vessel for receiving the
second pourable mixture.
[0012] The cavity of the second vessel may be provided with one or
more inserts prior to receiving the pourable mixture so that the
inserts may be incorporated in the produced biomaterial.
[0013] The cavity of the second vessel may be constructed with an
internal geometry (void tooling) to make a final product with
voids, such as coolers for shipping. A single vessel may
incorporate multiple products, such as 48 coolers in one vessel,
which would then be cut into final parts after ejection from the
vessel.
[0014] Programmable air temperature settings, such as cycles where
the air temperature drops or raises over time or fluctuates in a
cyclical fashion, can be used to drive certain responses from the
mycelium. The programmable air temperature settings can also be
used to maintain a stable optimal material temperature while the
metabolic activity of the mycelium changes over time.
Substrate
[0015] The substrate may be selected or supplemented to include
certain volatile organic compounds, such as terpenes which inhibit
contamination. For example, the substrate is composed of discrete
particles of wood chips characterized in having a low nutrient
content of lignocellulose, and in particular, an Aspen microchip
produced from Aspen logs using a modified whole tree drum chipper.
The chips are 3 mm.times.3 mm.times.1 mm in size. Aspen wood is
composed of lignocellulose which is well known to be a highly
recalcitrant organic molecule, difficult for most organisms to
digest.
[0016] Additionally, the optimal substrate for the first phase of
biomass expansion may be meaningfully different from what can be
used for successive phases of further expansion. Once a certain
dominance over the substrate has been achieved by the desired
organism, additional amounts of more generally available nutrition
(Nut %) may be added. These nutrients are quickly dominated by the
population of the desirable organism, which outcompetes possible
contaminants that would have out competed a less robust population.
In this manner, higher metabolic rate growth and rapid development
of mycelium can occur. This initial starving of nutrients followed
by nutrient addition is described as phase I (T.sub.phaseI) and
phase II (T.sub.phaseII) growth.
Organism
[0017] The choice of organism involves several considerations
including inoculation rate, digestive toolkit, growth temperature
dependence, and filamentous cellular morphology.
[0018] Inoculation rate (In %) can affect the operation of the
described process in several ways. Higher inoculation can be a
means of outcompeting contaminants on a more generally available
substrate, of increasing final properties or decreasing growth
phases. Lower inoculation most simply saves money but can also be a
tool to reduce the metabolic rate and therefore lower the aeration
requirements and ultimate delta T between the top and bottom of the
vessel.
[0019] In concert with careful substrate selection, the desired
organism should be selected to be capable of digesting and thriving
on a nutrient source which is not generally commonly accessible.
This combined restriction allows the system in general to be
operated with far less aseptic control than is common in the prior
art, allowing open air mixing and no filtration.
[0020] The organism selected must also be able to grow at a range
of temperatures, and with generally similar growth at the range of
temperature between T.sub.bot and T.sub.top. Selection for this
criterion enables a uniform product.
[0021] Lastly, the organism must demonstrate the filamentous
properties desired for both operation and final product. The
organism used in the herein described process is a fungal inoculum
from the division of Basidiomycota, and particularly, a white rot
fungus, such as Ganoderma lucidum or Trametes versicolor.
Operating Parameters
TABLE-US-00001 [0022] Specific Parameters Unit Example Range
T.sub.1 (ambient air temp) .degree. F. 75 45-130 RH % % 100 0-100
T.sub.top (temperature at vessel bottom) .degree. F. 70 40-110
T.sub.bot (temperature at vessel top) .degree. F. 90 41-110 H
(vessel height) Inches 12 0.25-12 L (vessel width) Inches 39 24-192
W (vessel length) Inches 39 24-4,800 In % (wet inoculation % by dry
% 10 0.5-20 substrate) Nut % (nutrient % by dry substrate) % 7 3-20
T.sub.phaseI (duration of phase I) Days 5 2-7 T.sub.phaseII
(duration of phase II) Days 4 1-5
Product
[0023] The final product may take a variety of forms, including but
not limited to a block, flat panels, or a molded shape.
[0024] In the case of a block, the vessel would be rectangular and
produce a rectangular block or bun.
[0025] In the case of panels, a block (either pre-dried while in
the vessel or still fully biologically active) would be removed
from the second vessel and sliced into a multiplicity of panels.
This can be achieved using commonly available sawmill equipment.
Panels from 0.25'' up to the full thickness of the block can be
produced. Slicing of the block into thin panels allows faster low
energy drying and heat treatment than thicker panels.
Alternatively, after cutting and before drying, panels can be
further incubated to provide surface growth and further
strengthening, or to be grown together into larger three
dimensional objects.
[0026] Potential applications of panels produced in this method
include furniture surface and door cores, acoustic panels,
insulation panels, rafts for wetland remediation, components for
set design, temporary sign panels, and flat sheet packaging
material.
[0027] The second vessel may also be formed as a molded volume for
the production of useful shapes, such as a chair or couch
substructure or a plurality of shipping cooler volumes. In the case
of a chair substructure, additional strengthening and attachment
components, such as pieces of wood, may be placed into the vessel
prior to filling, and allowed to grow into place. As with the
block, some amount of drying while in the vessel can be used to
shorten drying time. In the case of shipping coolers, a number of
parts might be grown together in a single molded vessel, and then
cut apart into individual units for commercial sale either before
or after drying.
Modifications
[0028] The second vessel may be a non-aerated mold or a
multiplicity of non-aerated molds, such as a series of thermoformed
plastic trays with dimensions of 21''.times.21''. These molds may
be open on top and may include several depressions for filling with
the mixture to form shapes, such as, corner blocks for
packaging.
[0029] The second vessel may also be shaped earth outdoors, for
example the bottom of a ditch or depression being prepared for a
stream or pond, and where the material will grow in place during a
non-aerated phase 2 (at depths <12 inches). The final grown
layer may act as an impermeable layer or a load bearing surface,
such as a temporary road.
[0030] The second vessel may take the form of a stationary lane or
tunnel where the material is mixed in-vessel between phase 1 and
phase 2 and then unloaded by drag conveyor or hoist.
[0031] These and other objects and advantages will become more
apparent from the following detailed description taken with the
accompanying drawings wherein:
[0032] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the process steps of the
invention;
[0033] FIG. 2 graphically illustrates the parameter selection,
process feedback loop and product attributes for the process of the
invention;
[0034] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an apparatus in accordance
with the invention;
[0035] FIG. 4 illustrates a partial cross-sectional side view of a
vessel employed in the apparatus of the invention;
[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates a vessel provided with inserts in
accordance with the invention;
[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates a view of a produced mycelium biomaterial
with a pair of inserts incorporated therein in accordance with the
invention;
[0038] FIG. 7 illustrates a vessel constructed with an internal
geometry to make a final product with voids;
[0039] FIG. 8 illustrates a multi-cavity block made in accordance
with the process of the invention;
[0040] FIG. 9 illustrates a layer cut from the block of FIG. 8;
[0041] FIG. 10 illustrates a segment separated from the layer of
FIG. 9;
[0042] FIG. 11 illustrates a large block of fungal biomaterial made
in accordance with the process of the invention;
[0043] FIG. 12 illustrates a thin sheet cut from the block of FIG.
11;
[0044] FIG. 13 illustrates a thin sheet from the block of FIG. 11
in place as a landscape mat; and
[0045] FIG. 14 illustrates a sheet from the block of FIG. 11 in
place as a seat for a chair.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, a process for the production of fungal
biomaterials includes a step of mixing inoculum, e.g. Ganoderma
Lucidum or Trametes sp. in an amount of 1-10% by dry mass, and a
substrate of discrete particles e.g. Aspen chips to form a pourable
mixture. The mixture may be mixed in a continuous screw mixer or
batch ribbon blender, and the Aspen chips may be exposed to
sterilization e.g. atmospheric steam prior to being chilled and
mixed with the inoculum.
[0047] Of note, only the lignocellulose discrete particles and the
spawn are required for the initial mixture. The lignocellulose can
be used as food over long incubation periods but is very difficult
to access (described below). The spawn has latent nutrients
included in the mixture which sustain the initial expansion of
growth.
[0048] The process also includes a step of dispensing the mixture
into one or more vessels. The vessels may be bins having dimensions
of 40''.times.40''.times.28'' and are filled to a height of
24''-28''. The mixture may be compacted into a vessel as the vessel
is filled.
[0049] Thereafter, the mixtures in the vessels are subjected to a
step of incubation for a time and at a temperature sufficient to
allow the fungal inoculum to expand and dominate the substrate.
This step provides a Phase I low nutrient growth. During this step,
there is little readily available nutrition and thus relatively
little heat generation. During this step, the fungal portion of the
mixture is able to outcompete any contaminant organisms and expand
to cover and dominate the wood chip portion of the mixture. The end
result of this step is that the mixture is evenly coated in the
fungal tissue; however, it is still easy to break apart and
remix.
[0050] Of note, the fungal portion in phase 1 has latent nutrition
available from the spawn on which it is carried and uses this
energy to rapidly expand over the nutrient poor discrete particles
of the initial mixture, coating them and preparing to digest their
recalcitrant nutrients. (Recalcitrant is a term used in literature
to describe ligno-cellulose (wood) which can be used as a food by
white rot fungi, but requires energy intensive enzymatic processes
to degrade and access.)
[0051] It is doubtful that phase 1 is long enough that the fungus
begins to degrade and digest the wood in a meaningful way, but the
fungus quickly coats the particles in search of more readily
available food and also in preparation of digesting the particles.
Before the fungus does so, the mixture is removed from the
vessel(s) and mixed with very readily available nutrients in phase
II which are consumed within a matter of days.
[0052] In phase II, the mixture with the added nutrients is poured
into a second vessel having a cavity of the final desired shape for
the product. Alternatively, the mixture with the added nutrients
may be poured back into the first vessel, if that vessel has a
cavity of the final desired shape for the product. One advantage of
using two vessels is that the vessels can be used in rotation for
faster operation.
[0053] The addition of nutrients is performed after the fungus has
established dominance and is able to outcompete any potential
contaminant organisms for access to the easily digestible
additional nutrients.
[0054] The fungus can be determined as able to outcompete potential
contaminants based on visual indication of expansion of growth. The
discrete particles included in the primary mixture will become
visibly coated in mycelium on their surfaces, which indicates they
are colonized sufficiently. This indicates their nutrient potential
has been captured by the fungal organism.
[0055] The fungus does bond the particles into a self-supporting
biocomposite during this early capture phase; however, the strength
of that biocomposite is limited. The behavior of the fungus is to
expand and capture the scarce initial nutrient potential of the
discrete particles. Once significant additional nutrients are mixed
in, the tissue generated is denser and produces a much stronger
final self-supporting biocomposite.
[0056] The added nutrients are quickly converted into additional
fungal tissue biomass, which binds the mixture into its final form.
The mixture is then subjected to Phase II incubation--which is
potentially cooler to combat the additional metabolic energy
generated by the added nutrients.
[0057] After solidifying in its final shape, the biocomposite is
either desiccated in the vessel or ejected from the vessel while
still wet and then dried.
[0058] The ejected wet biocomposite may be either dried and further
processed, or further processed and then dried. Further processing
may include being machined into smaller components such as 1''
panels.
[0059] Sheets of the wet biocomposite may be further processed by
either a final incubation stage at 100% humidity and 80.degree. F.
to form a layer of tissue on the cut surfaces, or by being
assembled into a final shape such as a box and being incubated in
the same conditions in order to grow together.
[0060] Flexible sheets cut from a block may also be pressed into 3D
contours by a heated press at 400.degree. F. in a combination
drying and forming step.
[0061] Final drying of the biocomposite can occur at ambient
temperatures over the course of a week or more, or can be expedited
to as fast as 24 hours at 180.degree. F. in a wood kiln style
dryer. Blocks or panels left covered outdoors for several weeks in
a climate with temperatures between 40.degree. F. and 90.degree. F.
will continue to harden, producing an aged material.
[0062] Referring to FIG. 2, the production of mycelium biomaterial
in a static vessel requires the selection of a recipe and of
reactor settings. Recipe selection includes selection of substrate,
organism, steam treatment parameters, inoculation %, inoculation
type, moisture %, and additional nutrients. A given recipe might be
aspen planer shavings, G. lucidum, with or without atmospheric
steam treatment for 10 minutes, a 5% by dry mass inoculation rate,
a synthetic fine inoculation type, a moisture percentage of 65%,
and additional nutrients of second clear flour added prior to phase
II.
[0063] As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the recipe and reactor
settings result in conditions within the vessel which can be
characterized as the growth conditions. These conditions include
the O.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 concentrations, the temperature, the
relative humidity, the rate of evaporation of moisture, and the
nutrient availability. An example is an O.sub.2 concentration
greater than 5%, a temperature less than 95.degree. F. throughout
the vessel, an evaporation rate at <2% of moisture content per
day, and a recalcitrant nutrient availability in phase I and a
simple starch nutrient availability in phase II.
[0064] As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the growth conditions
dictate the metabolic action which occurs in the fungal tissue.
This includes the heat generation, the oxygen consumption rate, the
water production rate, the cellular biomass generation rate, the
specific morphological characteristics, and the competition
dynamics. As an example, the metabolic action may consist of heat
generation of 1 Watt per wet pound of mixture, Oxygen consumption
low enough to be replaced by a fresh air stream, water production
sufficient to maintain the <2% moisture content loss per day
rate, cellular biomass generation rate of 1% of dry mixture weight
per day, morphological characteristics for maximum strength such as
a high quantity of highly cross-linked and branched cells, and a
strong dominance over establishment of competitive organisms.
[0065] As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the metabolic action at
any given point in time may modify the growth conditions within the
reactor, which in turn dictate the metabolic conditions. This may
result in time dependent changes such as a slow increase in
temperature. Reactor settings may also be modulated through time to
effect results such as a slow decrease in temperature or increase
in aeration.
[0066] Lastly, as shown in FIG. 2, the final material properties
are a result of the metabolic activity. These properties include
the cellular biomass, the morphology, the chemical composition,
secondary metabolites, and modification of substrate. An example
process may result in a cellular biomass of 5% by dry mass mixture,
a morphology of highly branched vegetative cells, a chemical
composition favoring strong cell walls, expression of secondary
metabolites for increased hydrophobicity, and modification of the
chemistry of the substrate to make more accessible for animal
feed.
[0067] The apparatus serves to produce a finished block of grown
material 8 that is ejected from the vessel 5 and subsequently
sliced into panels 9. As indicated, the panels 9 may be stacked in
vertically spaced apart manner for the purpose of either final
curing or more efficient drying by convection.
[0068] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, for Phase II, the vessel 5'
may be constructed with a cavity 10 of a geometry to make a final
product 12, such as a chair or sofa (FIG. 6).
[0069] In addition, the cavity 10 of the vessel 5' may be provided
with one or more inserts 11 (FIG. 5) prior to receiving the
pourable mixture for Phase II so that the inserts 11 may be
incorporated in the produced biomaterial product, providing
additional benefit, such as wood support beams or tack strips for
upholstery.
[0070] Referring to FIGS. 7 to 10, wherein like reference
characters indicate like parts as above, the vessel 5' may be
constructed with an internal geometry (void tooling) to make a
final product with voids, such as coolers for shipping. A single
vessel 5' may incorporate multiple products, such as 48 coolers in
one vessel, which would then be cut into final parts after ejection
from the vessel.
[0071] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the vessel 5' is provided
internally with a plurality of upstanding posts 13 in order to
produce a single block of grown material 8, i.e. of mycelium
biomaterial, as shown in FIG. 8 with a plurality of longitudinally
extending tunnels 14 corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the
cross-sectional shape of the posts 13 in the vessel 5'.
[0072] Referring to FIG. 9, the block 8 of FIG. 8 may be cut
transversely into a plurality of layers 15, only one of which is
illustrated. As indicated, the layer 15 contains a plurality of
openings 16 corresponding to the pattern of posts 13 in the vessel
5'.
[0073] Referring to FIG. 10, the layer 15 of FIG. 9 may be cut into
individual segments 17, only one of which is shown, with a single
aperture 18.
[0074] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, wherein like reference
characters indicate like parts as above, a block of grown material
8 may be cut into a plurality of flat sheets or panels 19, only one
of which is illustrated, of a thickness of up to 4 inches.
[0075] The flat panels 19 may be cut thin enough for the final
product to be flexible for use in products, such as conformable
landscape mats (FIG. 13) to prevent erosion and weed growth. The
flat panels 19 may also be used in products, such as molded chair
backs (FIG. 14) where the thin panels might be compression molded
into complex three dimensional geometries.
[0076] A plurality of flat panels 19 may also be assembled into a
final shape (not shown) and finish grown to make a final product
such as coolers for shipping.
[0077] The vessel should be one which can be filled, moved around,
and dumped.
[0078] Thus, the invention provides a process and apparatus for
producing mycelium biomaterials in a relatively simple manner.
[0079] The invention also provides a process and apparatus for
growing mycelium biomaterials under non-aseptic open warehouse
conditions thereby reducing the process cost and complexity of
producing mycelium biomaterial.
* * * * *