Ecovative Design LLC

Ecovative LLC

Jacob Michael Winiski

Gavin Reim McIntyre

Peter James Mueller

Sue Van Hook

Eben Bayer

Matthew Lucht

Meghan Anne O'Brien

Alex Carlton

Sarah Araldi

Lucy Elaine Greetham

Jessica Hannah Kaplan-Bie

Alex James Carlton

Alex Stephen Friedman

Stephen Lomnes

Greg Tudryn

Jeff Betts

Asa Trench Snyder

Russell Allan Hazen

This application relates generally to aerial mycelium and methods of making aerial mycelium suitable for use as a food or textile product or ingredient. The aerial mycelium can be grown using a growth matrix provided into a growth environment and introducing aqueous mist into the growth environment. The aqueous mist has a mist deposition rate and a mean mist deposition rate to allow for aerial mycelial growth from the growth matrix.

Aerial mycelia and methods of making same

The invention describes a methodology for production of a secondary extra-particle fungal matrix for application as a mycological material, manufactured via a Type II actively aerated static packed-bed bioreactor. A pre-conditioned air stream is passed through a substrate of discrete elements inoculated with a filamentous fungus to form an isotropic inter-particle hyphal matrix between the discrete elements. Continued feeding of the air through the substrate of discrete elements and isotropic inter-particle hyphal matrixes develops an extra-particle hyphal matrix that extends from an isotropic inter-particle hyphal matrix in the direction of airflow into a void space within the vessel.

Bioreactor paradigm for the production of secondary extra-particle hyphal matrices

The process for producing mycelium biomaterial provides fresh oxygen to the growing mycelium biomaterial while removing waste heat and waste carbon dioxide by forced aeration through large volumes of material. In a first phase of fungal expansion, humidified air at a programmed temperature is passed upwardly and through a fungal inoculated substrate of discrete particles to allow the fungal inoculum to expand and dominate the substrate. Nutrient is added to the inoculated mixture and a second phase of fungal expansion is performed wherein humidified air at a programmed temperature is passed upwardly and through the nutrient enriched fungal inoculated substrate to allow the fungal inoculum to bond the discrete particles into a self-supporting biocomposite. The process and apparatus of the invention allows for the processing of grown materials bound by mycelium at depths of greater than 6&#x2033; and particularly in the range of from 24&#x2033; to 28&#x2033;.

Process and apparatus for producing mycelium biomaterial

A mycological biopolymer product consisting entirely of fungal mycelium is made by inoculating a nutritive substrate with a selected fungus in a sealed environment except for a void space, which space is subsequently filled with a network of undifferentiated fungal mycelium. The environmental conditions for producing the mycological biopolymer product, i.e. a high carbon dioxide (CO) content (from 5% to 7% by volume) and an elevated temperature (from 85&#xb0; F. to 95&#xb0; F.), prevent full differentiation of the fungus into a mushroom. There are no stipe, cap, or spores produced. The biopolymer product grows into the void space of the tool, filling the space with an undifferentiated mycelium chitin-polymer, which is subsequently extracted from the substrate and dried.

Mycological biopolymers grown in void space tooling

The process aseptically inoculates a liquid media with a vegetativefungal species to form a culture; statically incubates the culture in a vessel for a time sufficient to begin initiation of fruit body development and asexual sporulation and halts incubation at maximum conidia production prior to the beginning of sexual sporulation. Thereafter, the entire culture contents of the incubation vessel are macerated to homogenize the fungal biomass and conidia therein and form an inoculum.

[object Object]

A self-supporting composite body comprising a substrate of discrete particles and a network of interconnected mycelia cells extending through and around the discrete particles and bonding the discrete particles together is characterized in being stiff and in having a density of greater than 18 pounds per cubic foot (pcf). The method of making the composite body includes compressing a mass of biocomposite material comprised of discrete particles and a network of interconnected mycelia cells in the presence of moisture into a compressed body having a density in excess of 18 pcf. Compression may take place batch wise in a press or continuously between a pair of movable endless conveyors.

Stiff mycelium bound part and method of producing stiff mycelium bound parts

The method of making a composite biomaterial employs a binding organism (a filamentous fungi that produce mycelium) based on the material physical properties required for the composite biomaterial and a modulating organism (bacteria, fungus or yeast) based on a desired effect of the modulating organism on the binding organism. The modulating organism is selected based on the desired effect on the binding organism.

Method for stimulating the expression of specific tissue morphologies in filamentous fungi

In one embodiment, the process combines a fraction (up to 15%) of a lignocellulose substrate with supplemental nutritional material and hydrates the fraction to a moisture content of from 40% to 70% by weight. The hydrated substrate fraction is heat processed to remove ambient bioburden (yeast, mold, bacteria) and to maintain the hydrated substrate fraction in an aseptic condition. Thereafter, the hydrated substrate fraction is inoculated with a fungus and incubated to obtain a myceliated substrate which is then reduced into discrete particles. The remaining fraction of the substrate is combined with water and then combined with the discrete particles of myceliated substrate and incubated to obtain a second myceliated substrate which is then reduced into discrete particles. The second myceliated substrate is combined with supplemental nutritional material and incubated to obtain a third myceliated substrate composed of at least 10% mycelium.

Process for solid-state cultivation of mycelium on a lignocellulose substrate

Methods are provided for producing the following tissue characteristics via environmental and chemical manipulation of the vegetative and fruiting phases of the Basidiomycete fungus

Growing community of inventors

Troy, NY, United States of America

Jacob Michael Winiski