Tiny logo

mycomaterials_notes

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+
+introduction
+
+ - emphasize low-tech diy appeal and accessibility
+ - easier than mushroom cultivation
+
+what are mycomaterials?
+
+ - properties
+   - cheaply produced on agricultural waste
+   - home compostable
+   - naturally fire resistant
+   - thermal degradation of mycelium films occurred at approximately 300 degrees Celcius
+   - buoyant
+   - light-weight
+   - water resistant
+   - mycelium is hydrophobic due to proteins in the outermost layer of the cell wall
+   - rapid growth (7-14 days)
+
+working with mycelium (how-to)
+
+ - inoculum
+   - species (ganoderma / pleurotus)
+   - source
+   - substrate
+   - type (sawdust / hemp hurd / coir)
+   - treatment (sterilization / pasteurization)
+   - moisture content
+ - design
+   - object shape / properties
+   - mould / tool
+   - colour / texture
+   - finishing
+     - dry (2hrs at 60 degrees C)
+     - wax finish or dye (beesmax, natural dyes)
+     - g. lucidum very difficult to cut & shape whendry, even using saws & files
+ - environment
+   - temperature / humidity / CO2 / light
+ - card with technical details (bonus "bread crumbs")
+
+industry
+
+ - who are the major players and what are they focused on?
+
+conclusion
+
+links / resources
+
+ - websites
+ - companies
+ - papers

templates/fungi/mycomaterials_guide.html.tera

@@ -1,49 +1,20 @@
 {% extends "nav" %}
-{% block title %}mycelial technology | Photographing Mushrooms{% endblock title %}
+{% block title %}mycelial technology | Mycomaterials{% endblock title %}
 {% block content %}
     <article>
-      <h2>Guide to Photographing Mushrooms for Identification</h2>
-      <i>25 August, 2020</i>
+      <h2>Guide to Mycomaterials: Properties, Fabrication & Industry</h2>
+      <i>16 September, 2020</i>
       <h3>Introduction</h3>
-      <p>The blessing and curse of becoming known for your interest in a particular topic is the increasing number of questions you receive. As a keen mycophile, I am frequently sent photos of mushrooms and asked for assistance in identifying them. More often than not, I receive a single photo taken from directly above the mushroom, without any mention of contextual data such as where the photo was taken and during which season. This derth of data makes it very difficult to positively identify the mushroom to genus or species level. With that in mind, I thought it might be useful to write a short guide on photography for the purposes of mushroom identification.</p>
-      <p class="bordered"><i>When first beginning your journey into mushroom identification, it may be tempting to take a field guide with you to assist with identifications - I know this is how I started off. However, I've found that I prefer taking photos while in the field and doing the identification work and research at home. This allows me to focus on observation while in the field and avoid the frustration of paging through often-inadequate field guides. Find what works for you.</i></p>
-      <h3>Capturing Morphological Traits</h3>
-      <p>Mushrooms are often best identified by observing and listing their morphological traits. These may include the shape of the cap - both from above and in profile, the structure and colour of the hymenium, the colouration of the stem, the structure of the ring (if present) etc. Species within a genus often look identical at a glance and may require careful delineation based on a single characteristic. As such, it's very important to take clear photographs which collectively capture all of these characteristics (or the lack thereof). A minimum of three photos should do the trick:</p>
-      <p><b>Top-view</b>: captures the shape, colour and texture of the mushroom as seen from above.</p>
-      <figure>
-        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/top_view.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Large brown and white mushroom growing from a birch log on the forest floor. A black-gloved hand with fingers spread is next to the mushroom. The forest floor is covered with wet leaves and English ivy" />
-        <figcaption>Here we see a birch polypore mushroom (<i>Fomitopsis betulina</i>) from above, including a humyn hand for scale. As a bonus, we can also see the substrate from which the fungus is fruiting (a birch tree on the forest floor).</figcaption>
-      </figure>
-      <p><b>Side-view</b>: captures the profile of the cap, the cap margin and the shape and colour of the stem (including patterns and any bruising which might be present).</p>
-      <figure>
-        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/side_view.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Little brown mushroom (LBM) with a green clover attached to the base, as seen from the side on a white background" />
-        <figcaption>The profile of a single mushroom from the Panaeolus genus.</figcaption>
-      </figure>
-      <p><b>Bottom-view</b>: captures the colour and structure of the hymenium (gills, pores or teeth), as well as the way in which the cap is attached to the stem (if present).</p>
-      <figure>
-        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/bottom_view.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Mushroom with white gills and a beige stem" />
-        <figcaption>The gills of a mushroom I've yet to identify, including the top part of the stem.</figcaption>
-      </figure>
-      <p>Your identification process will be further aided by taking the extra steps to capture two more photos:</p>
-      <p><b>Developmental diversity</b>: captures several examples of the mushroom at various phases of development, including a mature mushroom and primorida. Mushrooms can change colour and shape with age, and may lose key identification features - hence the utility of being able to identify using several phases of development.</p>
-      <figure>
-        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/development.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Tetraptych showing four phases in the development of coprinoid mushrooms amongst mulch; from primordium to mature fruitbody" />
-        <figcaption>Four phases in the development of a coprinoid mushroom.</figcaption>
-      </figure>
-      <p><b>Spore-print</b>: captures the colour of the spores (an important characteristic with which to narrow your search). You will probably have to take a mushroom cap home / back to your campsite to create the sporeprint (takes 12 - 24 hours).</p>
-      <figure>
-        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/spore_print.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Black sporeprint on white, ruled paper" />
-        <figcaption>Black spores from a mushroom in the Panaeolus genus.</figcaption>
-      </figure>
-      <p class="bordered"><i>Bear in mind that you don't need fancy equipment to photograph mushrooms for the purpose of identification. I've been using the same simple Sony digital point-and-shoot since 2011. Also, don't be afraid to get close-up to your subject (the mushroom). The details often prove to be very important!</i></p>
-      <h3>Capturing Ecological Context</h3>
-      <p>In addition to photos of the mushroom itself, it can be incredibly helpful to collect data concerning the context in which the mushroom is growing. The key considerations in this regard are the substrate and habitat: What is the mushroom growing on? Where is it growing? And what is growing or living around it? Having photos of these contextual factors can make a big difference when identifying a mushroom or genus or species-level. A minimum of two photos will suffice:</p>
-      <p><b>Substrate-attachment</b>: captures the substrate on which the mushroom is growing. Try to observe beyond the obvious: if it's growing from the ground, is it growing on mulch, dung or from beneath the soil?</p>
-      <figure>
-        <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/substrate.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Cluster of mushrooms with beige-orange caps and brown stems, growing on a wet, decomposing log in a forest" />
-        <figcaption>A cluster of mushrooms growing on a wet, decomposing log.</figcaption>
-      </figure>
-      <p><b>Habitat</b>: captures the environmental conditions and some of the species which may be copresent with the mushroom.</p>
+      <p>Before the advent of plastic and the rapid expansion of global mining activites, our habitats, clothes, tools and other technologies were constructed from the organic and inorganic elements around us. Mud, stone, bone, wood, bamboo, grass and a plethora of other biotic and abiotic materials formed our material culture and mediated our interactions with the world. Some of these materials, such as stone, are highly durable - able to withstand centuries of use with only minor
+      deterioration. Others, such as grasses and wood, are typefied by their ephemerality - offering utility over short spans of timespace before decaying beyond repair. The decomposition of these materials, whether unfolding over geological time-scales or the course of a few days, unlocks key nutrients which are then cycled through planetary systems and which ultimately support the proliferation and diversification of life.</p>
+      <p>Contrast the material culture of our ancestors with that of today, where so much of the humyn world is composed of plastics and other synthetic materials which are costly to produce, often manufactured far away from the point of use, and which are toxic to us and the lifeforms around us. These materials do not decay gracefully, nor do they nourish biological processes through their decomposition. Materials which require intensive mining operations are perhaps equally problematic, especially in light of large-scale habitat destruction and exploitation of labour and lands. Fortunately, the emergent field of mycomaterials offers a compelling alternative to toxic and energy-intensive materials such as plastics, styrofoam and other synthetic materials. 
+      <h3>Properties of Mycomaterials</h3>
+      <p>Simply put, mycomaterials are objects which are either completely or partially comprised of fungal mycelium. Shigeru Yamanaka and Reiko Kikuchi, widely regarded as the originators of mycomaterials, offer this definition in a patent filing from 1990:</p>
+      <blockquote cite="https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/eb/f7/2d/49306791c9c256/US5074959.pdf">
+        <p>a novel complex of fibrous materials and fungi obtained by allowing fungi to grow in a medium containing fibrous materials thereby bonding the fungi to the fibrous materials</p>
+        <footer>- <a href="https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/eb/f7/2d/49306791c9c256/US5074959.pdf"><cite>Complex of Fibers and Fungi and a Process for the Preparation Thereof</cite></a></footer>
+      </blockquote>
+      <p></p>
       <figure>
         <img src="/fungi/photo_guide/habitat.jpg" style="width: 100%;" alt="Birch forest with grass covering the forest floor" />
         <figcaption>A grassland birch forest.</figcaption>