Increased homogeneity of mycological biopolymer grown into void space

Abstract

The method of growing a biopolymer material employs incubation of a growth media comprised of nutritive substrate and a fungus in containers that are placed in a closed incubation chamber with air flows passed over each container while the chamber is maintained with a predetermined environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen. The air flows may be directed parallel or perpendicularly to the surfaces of the growth media.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of growing a biopolymer material comprising the steps of: providing an incubation chamber;
 providing growth media within the incubation chamber, wherein the growth media comprises nutritive substrate and a fungus; and   growing a mycelium biopolymer consisting essentially of fungal mycelium from the nutritive substrate toa non-substrate reinforcement matrix positioned above or directly contacting the nutritive substrate; and   forming a reinforced mycelium biopolymer by further growing the mycelium biopolymer into the non-substrate reinforcement matrix, such that the mycelium biopolymer infiltrates and combines with at least a portion of the non-substrate reinforcement matrix, and the non-substrate reinforcement matrix reinforces the mycelium biopolymer, to form the reinforced mycelium biopolymer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the non-substrate reinforcement matrix comprises at least one of a scrim and a lofted non-substrate matrix. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the scrim and the lofted non-substrate matrix comprises an organic material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the scrim and the lofted non-substrate matrix comprises an inorganic material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising removing the reinforced mycelium biopolymer from the nutritive substrate using the non-substrate matrix. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising maintaining the incubation chamber with a predetermined environment of humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide content and oxygen content sufficient to produce the mycelium biopolymer consisting essentially of fungal mycelium. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing growth media within the incubation chamber comprises providing growth media within a container. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein growing comprises growing the mycelium biopolymer in the container without the use of a lid on the container. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising directing flows of air comprising the carbon dioxide content through the incubation chamber and passing the flows of air over the growth media. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising incubating the growth media in the incubation chamber for an incubation time period sufficient for the fungus to digest the nutritive substrate and produce the mycelium biopolymer consisting essentially of fungal mycelium. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the incubation time period is between 4 and 14 days. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the flows of air comprise a carbon dioxide content of 5% to 7% by volume. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the flows of air are characterized as having an airflow rate, wherein the airflow rate is between 5 and 10,000 cubic feet per minute. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the airflow rate of the flows of air is greater than 160 cubic feet per minute. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the airflow rate of the flows of air is greater than 175 cubic feet per minute. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the flows of air are pulsed during the incubation time period. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising distributing a mist through the incubation chamber for passage over the growth media. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the mist comprises moisture and a solute. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the solute is selected from a mineral, a carbohydrate, a protein, and a lipid. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the solute is a mineral. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein growing the mycelium biopolymer comprises growing an aerial mycelium, and wherein distributing the mist comprises distributing the mist at regulated amounts onto a top surface of the aerial mycelium. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the mycelium biopolymer comprises a density of 0.5 to 4 pounds per cubic foot.