MYCELIUM-BASED MATERIALS INCLUDING HIGH-PERFORMANCE INSULATION AND RELATED METHODS
Mycelium-based materials including high-performance insulation and related methods are generally described.
1 . A method, comprising:
culturing mycelium to produce a first grain spawn;
culturing the first grain spawn to produce a mother spawn;
colonizing a target substrate with the mother spawn, wherein colonizing comprises:
producing a first mixture of carbon dioxide and water,
flowing the first mixture to a container comprising a photosynthetic species, producing oxygen with the photosynthetic species,
flowing the oxygen to the mother spawn, and producing a second mixture of carbon dioxide and water and flowing the second mixture to the container comprising the photosynthetic species; and
deactivating any mycelium.
2 . A method, comprising:
culturing mycelium to produce a first grain spawn;
culturing the first grain spawn to produce a mother spawn;
colonizing a target substrate with the mother spawn; and
deactivating the mother spawn and/or any mycelium,
wherein any one of the culturing steps comprises feeding mycelium a nutritional material that has been treated with a mixture of an acid and a peroxide.
3 . A method, comprising:
culturing mycelium to produce a first grain spawn;
culturing the first grain spawn to produce a mother spawn;
colonizing a target substrate with the mother spawn, wherein colonizing comprises applying an electric field to at least a portion of the mother spawn and/or the target substrate; and
deactivating the mother spawn and/or any mycelium.
4 - 7 . (canceled)
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a wt % of chitin within hyphal filaments of the mycelium is greater than or equal to 5 wt % and/or less than or equal to 95 wt %.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target substrate is greater than or equal to 5 wt % of the mycelium-based material.
10 - 12 . (canceled)
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of water present in the mycelium-based material is less than or equal to 20 wt % after the deactivating step.
14 . (canceled)
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a Young's modulus of the target substrate is greater than or equal to 1 GPa and/or less than or equal to 130 GPa.
16 . (canceled)
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein culturing comprises growing a first grain spawn, a second grain spawn, and/or a third grain spawn.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein culturing comprises producing a mother spawn.
19 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the mixture of acid and peroxide comprises citric acid and/or hydrogen peroxide.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein culturing comprises providing enzyme production enhancers.
21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein colonizing comprises mixing the mycelium with the target substrate.
22 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the mycelium and/or the substrate into shape.
23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
(a) deactivating comprises dehydrating and/or heating the mycelium, and/or
(b) deactivating comprises applying a radiofrequency to the mycelium, and/or
(c) deactivating comprises lyophilizing the mycelium, and/or
(d) deactivating comprises a first deactivation step, and, optionally, a second deactivating step.
24 . The method of claim 1 , wherein colonizing the target substrate comprises a liquid culture of mother spawn.