Are you interested in doing mushroom experiments for school? Growing mushrooms on bread is a cool project for a science festival and lets you understand how to keep bread fresh. With a little moisture, heat, and time, you'll be able to create a fluffy green sandwich that will both impress and shudder in your class.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Growing Mushrooms
Step 1. Gather the required materials
To grow mold on bread, you'll need the following ingredients: a loaf of bread (any kind), a resealable plastic bag, a spray bottle, and water. You can use any type of bread, but store-bought sandwiches contain preservatives and mold will be slow to grow. Mold will grow faster on fresh bread.
- You don't have to use a spray bottle, but it will make it easier to moisten your bread with water.
- Fill the bottle with water before you start the experiment.
- If you don't have a plastic bag, replace it with another container that can be closed. Use a transparent container so you can observe the growth of the fungus. The container must be able to be closed so that the fungus does not spread. You can also use old plastic or glass jars, but you'll need to throw them away after the experiment is over.
Step 2. Spray the bread with water
Moisten the bread using a spray bottle. Don't let the bread get too wet. You just need moisture to trigger mold growth. One spray is enough. You can also moisten bread by:
- Place a damp paper towel in a plastic bag with the bread.
- Sprinkle water over the bread.
- Spray the inside of the plastic bag, not directly on the bread.
Step 3. Cover the plastic bag with the bread
Place the moistened bread in a plastic bag and close it. During the experiment, don't open the plastic so you don't catch mold spores growing on the bread.
If you have allergies, you should not do this experiment because it can be dangerous for you
Step 4. Store in a damp and warm place
Mold thrives in warm and humid environments. Find a warm place in your house and keep a plastic bag filled with bread in that place. This way, you've provided enough moisture for mold growth.
Fungi are heterotrophs. So, mushrooms do not need sunlight to create food. Fungi get their food from bread in the form of starch which breaks down into sugar. This is why mold grows in dark and damp places, such as foxes
Step 5. Observe the growth of the fungus
Observe the bread daily and track mold growth. You will only see significant growth after 7-10 days. You may see mold growth after 5 days depending on the type of bread you use. Remember, fresh bread will mold faster than store-bought preserves.
If the bread starts to dry out, it's better to start over using a wetter bread instead of adding water to the dry bread. Mold spores can trigger allergic reactions and respiratory problems. Some types of mushrooms contain mycotoxins that can cause nerve problems or even death
Step 6. Dispose of the bread the right way
Once you are done observing mold growth, throw the closed container you used in the trash. Do not open the container. If you open it, mold spores can be released into your environment and this is not good for health.
Wash your hands every time you handle a plastic bag
Part 2 of 2: Experimenting with Different Growing Conditions
Step 1. Make some moistened bread samples
To test for various growing conditions for mold, you will need more than one sample. Moisten the bread as much as you need to test some conditions. Place each loaf in a separate bag.
- For example, if you want to test 3 different temperatures, make 3 samples.
- Before each experiment, make predictions about what might happen. Create a hypothesis about how fast the fungus will grow in each condition. Write down whether you think there will be more or less mold at the end of the experiment for each condition.
Step 2. Vary the humidity of each loaf to see how the humidity affects the mushrooms
Make sure other factors, such as temperature and light, are the same. However, vary the moisture level of the bread. Make a sample of 1 slice of dry bread, 1 piece of slightly damp bread, and 1 more piece of wet bread.
Check the samples daily for differences in fungal growth among the 3 samples
Step 3. Place the samples in locations with different temperatures to see how temperature affects the fungus
To test for mold growth at different temperatures, store one sample at room temperature, one in the refrigerator, and another in the freezer.
- Remember, to minimize variations in conditions, you must ensure that each bread has the same humidity and samples that are at room temperature should be stored in a dark place because samples that are in the refrigerator and freezer are also in the dark.
- Check each sample daily to see which bread is experiencing the fastest mold growth.
Step 4. Store the samples in locations with varying sun exposure to observe how the light affects the mushrooms
If you want to test whether light affects mold growth, store samples in areas with varying light exposure. Put one bag in the dark and one bag in the light.
- To minimize variations in conditions, ensure that the temperatures in the two locations are the same. Use the same amount of water for each sample. Even if the water and temperature were different, you wouldn't know if the difference in growth was due to light, water, or temperature.
- Observe the sample daily to check the rate and magnitude of growth.
Tips
- Wash your hands after completing the experiment.
- Discard the bread in a closed container after the experiment is complete.
- Don't open the plastic bag and don't let anyone eat it.
- If the bread is dry, it will be stale, but not moldy.
Warning
- DO NOT eat, smell, or even remove moldy bread from its plastic bag indoors. Mold releases spores into the air that can trigger allergies and mold can spread to other surfaces and food.
- Mold on bread can be very toxic to dogs. Make sure your dog doesn't eat moldy bread or touch cutlery that has stuck to moldy bread.
- Penicillin grown in bread cannot be used to treat disease or infection.
