Learn how to

Advanced mycologists can clone mushroom tissue by placing it in a nutritious medium. This process is often called propagation or isolation, and it offers several benefits.

 

Isolated cultures have a more narrow genetic profile than a spore print, and therefore if the isolation is taken from a strong mushroom, it will result in faster ‘colonization’ time, higher yield, and larger fruiting bodies (mushrooms). Further isolation from the initial mushroom tissue sample can be done using agar* (or a variety of other mediums), by selecting especially strong mycelial strands and propagating these onto another dish/slant.

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*Agar is the most common high-nutrient propagation medium. The caveat to working with isolations/agar is that great care and attention must be paid to the sterility of the environment. A “flow hood” is highly recommended when propagating mushroom cultures. (a flow hood consists of a HEPA filter enclosed in a box with a fan situated opposite the filter. This allows filtered are to be continually blown over your workspace)*