Edible foodstuffs and bio reactor design
Methods of production of edible filamentous fungal biomat formulations are provided as standalone protein sources and/or protein ingredients in foodstuffs as well as a one-time use or repeated use self-contained biofilm-biomat reactor comprising a container with at least one compartment and placed within the compartment(s), a feedstock, a fungal inoculum, a gas-permeable membrane, and optionally a liquid nutrient medium.
1 . A food material comprising particles of a cohesive filamentous fungal mycelial biomass, wherein:
the fungal mycelial biomass comprises aerial hyphae,
the fungal mycelial biomass is non-viable,
the filamentous fungus is one or more species of a genus selected from Agaricus, Boletus, Cantarellus, Ganoderma, Morchella, Hypsizygus, Pleurotus, Pholiota, Sparassis, Hypsizygus, Cyclocybe, Grifola, Lentinula, Laetiporus, Calvatia, Tuber , and combinations thereof, and
the fungal mycelial biomass is free of residual feedstock.
2 . The food material of claim 1 , wherein the filamentous fungus is of a species selected from Agaricus bisporus, Boletus edulis, Cantarellus cibarius, Ganoderma lucidum, Morchella species, Hypsizygus tessellatus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus eryngii, Pholiota microspora, Sparassis crispa, Hypsizygus ulmarius, Cyclocybe aegerita, Grifola frondosa, Lentinula edodes, Laetiporus species, Calvatia gigantea, Tuber species, and combinations thereof.
3 . The food material of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a particle length between about 0.05 mm and about 500 mm; a particle width between about 0.03 mm and about 7 mm; a particle height between about 0.03 mm and about 1 mm; or two or more of the foregoing dimensions.
4 . The food material of claim 1 , wherein the fungal mycelial biomass is dried.
5 . The food material of claim 1 , wherein the fungal mycelial biomass comprises at least two structurally different layers.
6 . The food material of claim 5 , wherein one of the layers is more dense than the other.
7 . The food material of claim 5 , wherein one of the layers is an aerial hyphae layer.