US 20090307969Al

(19) United States

(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2009/0307969 A1
Bayer et al. (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 17, 2009

(54) METHOD FOR PRODUCING RAPIDLY Publication Classi?cation

RENEWABLE CHITINOUS MATERIAL
USING FUNGAL FRUITING BODIES AND
(51) Int. Cl.
PRODUCT MADE THEREBY A01G 1/04 (2006.01)

(76) Inventors: Eben Bayer, Troy, NY (US); Gavin (52) US. Cl. ......................................................... .. 47/11
Mclntyre, Green Island, NY (US)
Correspondence Address:
Francis C. Hand, Esq. (57) ABSTRACT
c/o Carella, Byrne, Bain, Gil?llan, Cecchi The method of groWing a fungal fruiting body requires expos
Stewart & Olstein, 5 Becker Farm Road ing a mycelium of a desired organism type to environmental
Roseland, NJ 07068 (US) conditions suf?cient to induce fruiting of fungal primordium
(21) Appl. No .: 12/456,408 in the organism type folloWed by enclosing the fungal pri
mordium Within a mold of a designated shape representing a
(22) Filed: Jun. 16, 2009 near net shape volume of a desired ?nal product. The fungal
primordium is alloWed to groW and ?ll the mold to form a
Related US. Application Data
mass of fungal tissue equivalent in shape to the designated
(60) Provisional application No. 61/ 132,161, ?led on Jun. shape of the mold after Which the mass of fungal tissue is
16, 2008. removed from the mold and dried.

Substrate is designed
based on selected fungi

l 4- inoculated

Colonization occurs
and primorda forms
enclosure is
l mounted

Fruiting body is grown

to near net shape ‘

blue/UV light W/ ?lter -—+

1 air and carbon dioxide

Final machining to
remove excesses and
shape to desired form
Patent Application Publication Dec. 17, 2009 Sheet 1 0f 25 US 2009/0307969 A1

Figure l

Fungal fruiting
body is Obtained
l -(--—- water
The fruit is moisted
to make pliable

1, .
The fruit is formed
to near net Shape

l 4- chemical treatment
Final. machining to
remove excesses and
shape to desired form
Patent Application Publication Dec. 17, 2009 Sheet 2 of 25 US 2009/0307969 A1

Figure 2

Substrate is designed
based on selected fungi

l 44- inoculated
Colonization occurs
and primorda forms
enclosure is
mounted

Fruiting body is grown

to near net Shape ‘

blue/UV light w/ ?lter -—+ l -(---- air and carbon dioxide

Fina] machining to
remove excesses and
shape to desired form
Patent Application Publication Dec. 17, 2009 Sheet 3 0f 25 US 2009/0307969 A1

Figure 3
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Figure 4
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vFigure 5
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Figure 6
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Figure 7
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Figure 8
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Figure 9
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Figure 10
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Figure 1 1
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Figure 12
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Figure 13
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Figure 14
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Figure 15
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Figure 16

V///.///Af w/

821
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Figuré 17
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Figure 18
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Figure 19