Mycoponics: Controlled Bioproduction Utilizing Biophysical, Solid-State, Liquid Nutrient Delivery

Mycoponic biotechnology, inspired by hydroponics-a vital technology for agriculture research and space exploration, is limited by innate substrate contamination commonplace in commercial mycoproduction. Using micro-structured ceramic tubes as "substrate," mycoponics provides mycelial cellular filaments with an air-phase/solid-state, antimicrobial interface for cellular liquid nutrient media uptake. We show how antimicrobial biophysical size exclusion facilitates mycoponic "persistent-filtration-defense" (PFD), experimentally confirmed using flow cytometry, and electron microscopic analysis of the interfacial ceramic pores (less than 300 nm). The antimicrobial mycoponic interface enabled development of a complete mycoponic nutrient medium, producing blue oyster mushrooms from liquid culture 2 weeks post inoculation. This completely eliminates grain-spawn (2-4 weeks) and fruiting phase (2-4 weeks) times using granular substrate bags that require energy/time-intensive antimicrobial processing. Mycelial colonization times decreased by 9 days, while biomass increased (170%) with activated carbon inside the tubes. Mycoponic cultivation of Reishi mycoleather gloves demonstrates direct 3D-mycomaterials, and we show how mycoponics enables advanced scientific imaging (thermal) and techniques, including mycelial exudate recovery for drug discovery. Mycoponics enables hybrid solid-state, liquid culture for continuous bioproduction of mycelial pharmaceuticals, representing 18% of the global market. The efficiency and extended cultivation enabled by mycoponics will facilitate significant future advances in mycology and mycoengineering.