SYSTEM FOR GROWING FUNGAL MATERIALS
A system for growing fungi, the system comprising a nutritive vehicle, a porous material, an administrable space, fungal tissue comprising fungal hyphae having a growth pattern, the fungal tissue connecting said nutritive vehicle to said porous material to said administrable space, wherein the fungal tissue within said space defines at least one successive fungal material layer; and a chemically or physically altered separated portion of fungal material, the separated portion separated from said fungal tissue.
1 . A scaffold structure for growing fungi comprising:
a. a nutrient substrate;
b. a porous material defining an intermediate layer which does not readily bind with fungal tissue, wherein the porous material is selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, and ceramic plate;
c. a closed administrable space positioned away from said substrate and said porous material;
d. a first layer of fungal tissue connecting said substrate to and through said porous material to said administrable space;
e. a successive layer of fungal tissue within said administrable space;
f. a growth field comprising growth field locations such that growth of said first layer of fungal tissue is directed through said growth field locations so as to create said successive layer of fungal tissue; and
g. a portion of fungal material delaminated from said intermediate layer.
2 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 1 wherein the fungal material is at least 50% pure.
3 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 2 wherein the fungal material is 100% pure.
4 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 1 wherein the intermediate layer is impermeable with the exception of porous regions.
5 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 1 wherein the intermediate layer is rigid.
6 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 1 wherein fungal hyphae in the successive layer are fused with at least one additional fungal hyphae.
7 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 1 further comprising a plasticizing agent added to said fungal material.
8 . A scaffold structure for growing fungi comprising:
a. a nutrient substrate;
b. fungal tissue growing from said nutrient substrate, the fungal tissue comprising fungal hyphae;
c. a porous material positioned away from said nutrient substrate, defining an intermediate layer that does not readily bind with said fungal tissue, and through which the fungal tissue extends as a first fungal material layer, wherein the porous material is selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, and ceramic plate;
d. an enclosed administrable space into which said fungal tissue extends as at least one successive fungal material layer, above which extend fungal hyphae from said fungal tissue; and
e. a first portion of fungal tissue delaminated from the intermediate layer, wherein said fungal hyphae are distorted such that at least one individual hypha comes into contact with at least one additional fungal hypha.
9 . The scaffold structure of claim 8 wherein the fungal tissue is at least 50% pure.
10 . The scaffold structure of claim 8 wherein said fungal tissue is joined to the first fungal material layer and the successive fungal material layer.
11 . The scaffold structure of claim 8 wherein said hyphae are fused to one another.
12 . The scaffold structure of claim 8 wherein said first portion of fungal tissue delaminated from the intermediate layer is in contact with a second portion of fungal tissue delaminated from the intermediate layer.
13 . The scaffold structure of claim 8 further comprising a composite material added to said fungal tissue.
14 . The scaffold structure of claim 8 wherein said intermediate layer provides uniform initial conditions of growth, thereby achieving uniform growth pattern of the fungal tissue and directing said growth pattern into a definable plane.
15 . A scaffold structure for growing fungi comprising:
a. a nutrient substrate;
b. a porous material defining an intermediate layer selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, and ceramic plate;
c. a closed administrable space positioned away from said substrate and said porous material;
d. a first layer of fungal tissue connecting said substrate to and through said porous material to said administrable space;
e. a successive layer of fungal tissue within said administrable space;
a. a growth field comprising growth field locations such that growth of said first layer of fungal tissue is directed through said growth field locations so as to create said successive layer of fungal tissue, the successive layer of fungal tissue comprising fungal hyphae having geometries, wherein said fungal hyphae geometries are distorted such that at least one individual hypha extending above the growth field comes into contact with at least one additional fungal hypha.
16 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 15 further comprising a portion of fungal material delaminated from said intermediate layer
17 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 15 wherein the intermediate layer is impermeable with the exception of porous regions.
18 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 15 wherein the intermediate layer is rigid.
19 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 15 wherein fungal hyphae in the successive layer are fused with at least one additional fungal hyphae.
20 . The scaffold structure for growing fungi of claim 15 further comprising a plasticizing agent added to said fungal material.