Mushroom/ Mycology Spore Printer
This is a remix of the Iris parametric aperture added to the original concept of mycology spore collection. The print time is significantly longer and more complicated, but it prevent having to hold onto multiple different plate sizes for various sizes of mushrooms.
The prints have been separated in to two separate files in order to have one for support and one without to save print time on a Prusa.
Max Paradiz took the time to write an excellent write-up, which I've placed below as it's better than anything I could come up with! Enjoy
Summary
The design is a self-contained still-air box unit in which the mushroom is held 3 cm above a clean 90 mm* petri dish into which the spores are delivered. The bottom surface has a large opening through which the underside the petri dish is visible - so by placing the spore printer on top of a mirror one can observe the amount of spores deposited without disturbing the setup.
The idea is that one can set this up inside of a still-air box or in front of a flowhood and then move it it somewhere else to free up the workspace. Once the spore print is ready, the setup is brought back into a sterile environment, the mushroom removed and pure water is injected/withdrawn through the top opening to prepare a spore syringe.
This printer can also be useful in an educational setting, as one can show different groups of students how the spores are being released over time without having to move the mushroom and disturb the print.
Multiple different size holes are provided for different mushroom sizes.
Before printing, you can clean the device by wiping the inside surfaces with rubbing alcohol (70% isopropanol/30% water mixture)
*The petri dishes I designed this with are sold as a ‘90 mm’ petri dishes, but the diameter of the bottom piece is actually closer to 88 mm. From what I have found, this is the case for many of the 90 mm polystyrene petri dishes that are commonly sold to hobbyists, but not all of them. I recommend you to first print the barrel piece and test it by placing the bottom half of one of your 90 mm petri dishes inside of it. The fit should be a good but loose fit. The barrel should be easy to remove without disturbing the dish and the dish should not be free to bounce around when inside the barrel.
Print Settings
Printer brand:FlsunPrinter:Flsun Super RacerRafts:NoSupports:NoResolution:0.2 mmInfill:15%Post-Printing
The three legs should go into the table piece with some force, and they should remain well-stuck. If the legs won't fit, you can use sand paper to thin the insert.
The rest of the pieces should fit loosely into each other. Enough spacing was left to prevent the pieces from coming out fitting too tightly. But, if they do come out fitting too tightly, slight adjustments can be made using sand paper or a dremel to remove the excess material.
Standards
Overview and Background
Many species of fungi reproduce by producing spores. In the basidiomycetes, the mushroom is the spore producing organ. The spores are produced in the gills, and then they fall down into the soil and are dispersed by the wind and animals. It is possible to collect these spores by collecting what is known as a 'spore print'.
It is possible to collect such a print directly on a piece of paper or on a piece of aluminum. This printer provides you an alternative method to deliver the spores. The mushroom is held high above the print, making it more difficult for contaminants to transfer. Furthermore, it is possible to observe the print being deposited over time without disturbing the mushroom.
Lesson Plan and Activity
A petri dish is placed into the table portion of the printer and a mushroom is placed onto the platform. The spore printer is placed on top of a mirror. Over the following 24 - 48 hours, the student will inspect the print and qualitatively describe the amount of spores deposited. After the 48 hours, the student will observe the spores under the microscope.
Materials Needed
- A mushroom. Preferably one found in the wild, but store-bought shiitake mushrooms work well. Store bought button mushrooms are not a good choice for this project.
- A petri dish to collect the spores
- A mirror to place under the spore printer to see the progression of the print over time
- A microscope to observe the spores