_{To read more about the research behind this project, have a sneak peek here.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or would like to read the full thesis ︎.}

Before we dive into the experiments, let’s break down how mushrooms grow.

The mushroom cycle starts from spore germination. Every mushroom starts as a spore, released by mature mushrooms that are carried by wind or water until they make contact with a suitable growing medium. If the conditions and environment are right, they will start to germinate.

Once germinated, a strand of mycelium (also known as hyphae) will develop, and continue to expand by gathering water and nutrients to eventually produce the fruiting body - a mushroom! However, as spores are dispersed randomly, their germination is unpredictable and isn’t reliable. Therefore mushroom growers use mycelium spawn, a substrate in which the spores have already settled and started growing. The spawn used in the following experiments is grain spawn, which is mycelium placed onto sterilised grains.

Now you’re all set, please continue onto the experiments!