Using Liquid Culture Syringes
Using Liquid Culture
Liquid Culture in a glass vial
What is Mushroom Liquid Culture?
It’s probably worth starting with the basics – liquid culture is a sterile nutrient liquid in which mycelium can be grown. Mycelium is the fungal network that produces mushrooms. Purchased from us, liquid culture is supplied as a small kit including a syringe containing the liquid culture, a sterile needle and an alcohol wipe.
Liquid culture allows you to inoculate grain or other substrates (materials mushrooms grow on), inoculate agar (for testing or to create fresh mycelium) or to expand by inoculating your own fresh culture (to clone the liquid culture, in other words).
Ways to use Mushroom Liquid Culture
1) Inoculate Grain Substrate
Purpose: To grow mycelium as the first stage of mushroom cultivation production.
Procedure:
- Attach the sterile needle to the syringe, taking care not to touch the needle itself.
(If touched, sterilize the needle by flaming it until red hot, then let it cool.) - Shake the LC syringe to distribute the mycelium evenly.
- Inject 5 ml of LC per Kg into sterilized grain (e.g., rye, wheat, or millet).
- Seal and incubate the substrate at 19-21°C.
- Mycelium colonizes the grain, which can then be used for bulk substrate inoculation for fruiting.
2) Expand the Liquid Culture (Cloning)
Flame sterilising a syringe needle
Purpose: To create more liquid culture from the original syringe.
Procedure:
- Prepare a sterile nutrient solution (e.g., water with 2–4% honey, malt extract, or light corn syrup).
- Sterilize the nutrient solution at 121C (15psi) in a jar with a self-healing injection port and air filter / micropore tape to allow air exchange.
- Sterilize the needle and inject some of the original LC into the new sterile solution
(If touched, sterilize the needle by flaming it until red hot, then let it cool.) - Incubate at 21–24°C and gently shake or stir 2-3 times every day to promote even growth.
- The new jar will grow additional liquid culture, saving you from using up your syringe in one go.
3) Inoculate Agar Plates
Purpose: To test the LC for contamination or develop mycelium on Agar for Storage or Transfers
Procedure:
- Pour sterilized agar into petri dishes and allow it to set in a sterile environment.
- Sterilize the syringe needle, cool it, and inject a single drop of LC onto the center of the agar plate.
- Seal the plate with parafilm or cling wrap.
- Incubate at 21–24°C.
- Mycelium grows outward from the drop, revealing its health and purity. If the agar shows no contamination, the LC is safe for larger-scale use.
General Tips for Success
Stay Sterile: Always clean surfaces, wear gloves, and flame-sterilize needles.
Label Everything: Clearly mark dates, LC types, and targets for better tracking.
Small Tests First: Before large-scale use, test a small amount of LC to ensure it’s clean.
With these methods, you can maximize the potential of your liquid culture syringe.