Dehydrated Mycelium Composite Rehydration and Reshaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing dehydrated mycelium elements for mushroom growth are limited in their ability to be rehydrated and reshaped efficiently, and they often require specific conditions for growth initiation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving creating a living mycelium composite with fibers and particles, adding a nutrient material to promote growth, dehydrating to less than 50% moisture, and storing at controlled temperatures, allowing for rehydration and reformation into various shapes like bricks or blocks, with adhesion facilitated by reanimating the fungal organism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If dehydrated mycelium elements are made for storage and transport, then storage stability and transportability are improved, but the ability to be rehydrated and reshaped efficiently deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the dehydration process to achieve a specific moisture content range (5-40%) that balances storage stability with rehydration capability. The dehydration temperature and duration are optimized to preserve mycelium viability while removing sufficient moisture for stable storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the mycelium into desired shapes (bricks, blocks, pellets) before dehydration. This allows the mycelium to be prepared in advance with optimal structure for both storage and subsequent rehydration, eliminating the need for reshaping after rehydration.
2Reliability
If dehydrated mycelium is stored at controlled temperatures, then mycelium viability during storage is improved, but the complexity of storage conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by identifying and implementing an optimal temperature range for storage that maintains mycelium viability without requiring complex temperature control systems. The dehydration parameters are adjusted to allow storage at simpler, more accessible temperature conditions.
3Productivity
If nutrient material is added to promote mycelia tissue growth, then growth rate is improved, but the time required for dehydration and processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding nutrient material before the dehydration stage, allowing the mycelium to achieve optimal growth and density in advance. This preliminary nutrition ensures rapid growth during the cultivation phase without extending the dehydration or processing time, as the nutrients are incorporated into the mycelium structure before water removal begins.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the production of dehydrated mycelium elements that can be easily rehydrated and reshaped into multiple forms, promoting efficient mushroom growth without requiring dark or temperature-controlled environments, with the potential for multiple mushroom crops from a single dehydrated composite.
Implementation Method 1
moisture is applied through the opening in the container or coating... After a suitable period of time, one or more fruiting bodies (i.e. mushrooms) will begin to grow
Implementation Method 2
thereafter dehydrating the mycelium composite to a moisture content of less than 50% by weight to deactivate the further growth of mycelia tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A living hydrated mycelium composite containing at least one of a combination of mycelium and fibers, mycelium and particles, and mycelium, particles and fibers is processed with a nutrient material to promote mycelia tissue growth; thereafter dehydrated to a moisture content of less than 50% by weight to deactivate the further growth of mycelia tissue; and then stored. The stored dehydrated mycelium composite is further processed by rehydrating to reactivate the mycelium and to initiate growth of at least one fruiting body.