Agar and Genetics
Spore Prints and Syringe Physics: The Science of Fungal Archiving
The right way to take spore prints, make syringes, and store genetics for years. Covers foil vs. glass, hydration, and long-term viability.
Lab and Equipment
Mushroom Lab Gear
DIY Incubation Chambers: Engineering Thermal Stability for Fungal Colonization
How to hold 75-80F for weeks without cooking your grain. DIY incubation chambers, PID controllers, and the metabolic heat fungi generate themselves.
Mushroom Lab Gear
DIY Laminar Flow Hood Guide: Engineering Professional Sterility at Home
Build your own laminar flow hood for under $300. HEPA H14 filter selection, blower CFM calculations, and the plenum design that actually works.
Agar and Genetics
Liquid Culture Masterclass: Engineering High-Speed Fungal Inoculants
How to make, store, and expand mushroom liquid cultures. Covers peptone ratios, sugar clarity, and why a $22 stir plate beats a $60 one.
Mushroom Lab Gear
Laminar Flow Hood vs. Still Air Box: The Technical Lab Physics Guide
Do you actually need a flow hood, or is a Still Air Box enough? A cost-per-plate comparison with contamination rate data from both setups.
Agar and Genetics
Strain Isolation and Sectoring: Mastering Mycelial Purity and Longevity
How to isolate fast-growing mushroom genetics on agar through sectoring. Includes transfer protocols and signs of mycelial senescence.
Agar and Genetics
MEA vs. PDA: The Professional Laboratory Guide to Mushroom Agar Recipes
MEA, PDA, and antibiotic agar — five tested recipes with exact measurements for isolating clean mushroom cultures on plates.
Mushroom Lab Gear
DIY Still Air Box Guide: Engineering a Professional Sterile Lab for Under $20
A $15 plastic tote is the most effective contamination prevention tool in mycology. Here's exactly how to build and use a Still Air Box.
Mushroom Lab Gear
Best Pressure Cookers for Mushroom Cultivation 2026: The Sterilization Authority
Presto 23-Quart or All American 921? The pressure cooker comparison every mushroom grower eventually faces. Specs, PSI data, and altitude corrections.