Subject: Bulk production of wood-rotting fungi

From: [email-masked] (Alan Thomson)
Date: 6 Sep 1996 15:56:26 GMT

We are interested in growing wood rotting fungi; e.g. Poria vaillantii, 
Serpula lacrimans in bulk for enzyme extraction. They do not seem to like 
being grown in shake culture or stirred reactors and at the moment we can 
only produce themm on a small scale by growth on the surface of liquid 
media in penicillin flasks. 
Does anyone Have any methods for growing these in bulk. Do air-lift 
fermenters work. Or the addition of small solid supports?

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From: [email-masked] (Jim Worrall)
Date: Mon, 09 Sep 1996 16:20:53 -0800

I don't know about Antrodia vaillantii, but Serpula lacrimans is
a cool-temperature fungus, not doing well above about 23 C.  I think
its optimum is somewhere near 18 C.  That may not be your problem,
of course.

Jim Worrall

> being grown in shake culture or stirred reactors and at the moment we can 
. . .

-- 
Jim Worrall
SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry
Syracuse NY 13210

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From: [email-masked] (Mark Spear)
Date: 12 Sep 96 00:27:26 -0700

There are millions of pounds of wood rotting fungi being grown on 
sawdust mixes in solid state fermentation.  Of course this makes 
isolating enzymes tricky but surely not impossible.

Pete Romaine at PSU department of Plant Path has published (and 
patented) a method for making stable agarose beads that serve much 
the same function.  You could probably lyse or melt the agarose when 
you want to extract product.

Pelletized newsprint ought to work for culture and you may be able to 
slurry it for extracton.  You could certainly grind it.

    ---- Mark