METHOD OF PREPARING HIGHER MUSHROOM GRAIN MYCELIUM Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: biotechnology. SUBSTANCE: method involves filling vessels with dry grain and water and wetting grain for 24 hors at room temperature for initiating germination of lowest mushroom spores and transition to vegetative state; pouring out water; leaving wet grain in vessels; using throat of flexible vessel open at one end for assembling of geometrically unchangeable system so that material of open flexible vessel is between components of geometrically unchangeable system; providing sealing material (as one of components) at inner side of flexible open system for separating vessel internal cavity from environment to maintain sterility of grain inside vessel and providing for free gas exchange between internal cavity and environment; incubating wet grain for 24 hours under the same conditions until subsequent autoclaving at temperature of 121 C, under pressure of 1 atm for 2-2.5 hours; cooling vessels with grain to room temperature and inoculating with mother mycelium; cutting off geometrically unchangeable system from vessel while maintaining aseptic conditions; tightly packing newly formed flexible vessel open at one side and making punctures by means of sterile small-diameter needle for keeping gas exchange with environment of internal vessel of package with mycelium growing on corn seeds; after sowing, incubating vessels in thermostat at temperature of 24-26 C or at room temperature in special rooms on shelves; shaking germinated mycelium in vessels each 7-10 days for preventing grains from adhering one to another and for promoting mycelium growth. Method allows higher (edible) mushroom grain mycelium to be obtained. EFFECT: reliable grain sterilization, reduced labor intensity for preparing grain mycelium and provision for prolonged keeping of its microbiological purity. 1 tbl, 1 dwg