Mushroom spores are a fascinating and useful tool for researchers and enthusiasts alike. However, proper storage is critical if you want to ensure their viability for future use. In this article, we will explore the best methods for storing mushroom spore syringes to ensure their longevity and effectiveness.
When purchasing mushroom spore syringes, it’s crucial to understand how to store them properly. If stored correctly in a cool, dark place such as a refrigerator, syringes containing a sterilized spore/water solution can be used for microscopy indefinitely and for cultivation for prolonged periods (years). Liquid culture syringes should also be stored in the clean packaging they come in and refrigerated until use.
To preserve the viability of mushroom spores for future use, it’s essential to store them correctly. Researchers and enthusiasts can follow these simple steps to store spore syringes effectively:
Sterilize the syringe with an alcohol wipe after use.
Secure the protective cap to prevent the solution from leaking.
Place the syringe in a sterilized sealable plastic bag, with most air removed upon sealing.
Store the mushroom spore syringe in a refrigerator, where it won’t be disturbed.
Label the syringes and bags to prevent mixing up samples.
Proper labeling of syringes and bags is a helpful tip to prevent mixing up samples, especially for microscopy research. It’s crucial to avoid exposing spores to light and maintain a constant temperature for extending their shelf life.
Freezing spores is not advisable as ice crystals form, disrupting the structure of the spores. Although some strains of fungi can survive this method, it’s not recommended. Most mushroom spore syringes as well as liquid cultures and agar will be destroyed if stored in the freezer.
So, how long do mushroom spore syringes last? The shelf life of spore syringes depends on several factors, including temperature, container quality, and storage conditions. Spores in a laboratory-grade syringe left out at room temperature can last up to 30 days. However, if you want to extend their shelf life, it’s best to store them in a cold, dark place, like a refrigerator. When properly stored, syringes filled with mushroom spores can last between four and twelve months, with some strains remaining viable for even longer.
At the end of the day, mushroom spores are a valuable resource for researchers and enthusiasts. Proper storage of mushroom spore syringes is essential for maintaining their longevity and effectiveness. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can ensure your mushroom spores are stored correctly and ready for future use.
What is the difference between a spore syringe vs liquid culture?
Multispore syringes and mushroom liquid cultures are distinctively different and easy to tell apart. A mushroom spore syringe will have small (sometimes barley visible) black specks called spores. Liquid mycelium syringes on the other hand will have a cloud of white clumpy mycelium.
What is the difference between a spore syringe and a liquid culture?
Multispore syringes contain mushroom spores that are basically seeds, whereas liquid culture mycelium is like the already developed roots of the fungi. In this sense, the liquid culture has already got a head start on the growth process. The spores still need to become mycelium. This makes for quicker colonization times for liquid culture mycelium, where as multispore syringe inoculation can take a very long time.
Do spores take longer than liquid cultures?
Yes, they do, but you can just make liquid culture from spores via spores to liquid culture. Keeping multispore syringes or spore prints is a great way to preserve genetics and store long term, as spores last a very long time (at least 12 months if made correctly, can last many years). Liquid cultures on the other hand have a shelf life of about 6 months when kept in the fridge.
What is a multispore syringe?
A multispore syringe is spores taken from a spore print and suspended in distilled sterilized water. There are thousands (sometimes millions) of microscopic spores in a multispore syringe or on a multispore spore print. Each one of these single spores contain a unique genetic code, that when combined with other spores has a randomized and unique genetic make up for the later growing fungi. For this reason, when using a multispore syringe, the resulting mycelium and fruiting bodies will have totally random genetics that are based off of a specific set of genetics for that particular mushroom variety, strain, species, etc. Check out more about mushroom spores here.
At the end of the day when it comes down to spore syringe vs liquid culture, both mushroom liquid cultures and multispore syringes and spore prints have unique uses of their own depending how you would personally like to utilize them.
Multispore Solution JarMycelium Liquid Culture Jar
Do you want to get into the word of edible and medicinal mushrooms, but don’t know where to start? Want a good beginner’s spawn that’s fun to grow? Then the blue oyster mushroom is your (fun)guy. Starting out with deep blue caps that mature to gray as the fruiting bodies develop, and with a great resilience to different growing conditions, the blue oyster mushroom is an ideal candidate for a beginner’s fungi garden. The blue oyster mushroom is a member of the Pleurotus ostreatus species, specifically the variant columbinus – this variant of the oyster mushroom is especially resilient in colder weather conditions, and produces a bulkier fruiting body than other oyster mushroom variants. As the oyster mushroom is prized in culinary creations, and even considered a delicacy in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine, blue oyster mushrooms are sure to be an even greater return on your time investment should you choose to foster a fungus such as these. But the usefulness of this species goes deeper than just its uses in cooking…
The blue oyster mushroom is one of many Pleurotus ostreatus variants looked to for its role in mycoremediation, also known as mycorestoration – the process by which fungi are used to clean pollutants from the environment which are otherwise difficult to remove. Given that blue oyster mushrooms are such durable specimens, the relationship between their hardiness and their effect on the environment becomes clear: Pleurotus ostreatus will devour almost anything it comes into contact with, by virtue of the enzymes it releases into the hardwood trees upon which it usually grows. Given that the chemical bonds found in wood are similar to those found in some pollutants, such as petroleum and pesticides, the potential of using oyster mushrooms to clean up an oil-contaminated wetland or a decomposition-resistant garbage dump is undeniable. Research on this topic is ongoing, and provides hope for a brighter future of human management of the Earth’s resources; especially in developing countries, waste management is an area of concern, and effective mycoremediation would provide not only a cost-effective way of reducing waste, but one which also has the potential to provide valuable fungi as a byproduct. The blue oyster mushroom is just one of a number of viable candidates for this emerging biotechnology.
I’m not sure how many people would be willing to eat waste-dump blue oyster mushrooms… But hey, some of these funguys grow on poop, right?
The short answer — In most places all mushroom spores (including psilocybin mushroom spores) are legal! The reason? Mainly because they contain no psilocybin or psilocyn, but many other reasons discussed in this article also support their legality.
For a more detailed answer as to why this area of spores seems so grey (and why so many people ask if it is illegal to buy mushroom spores or if we can legally buy mushroom spores), continue reading.
The world of mycology becomes ever more prevalent internationally via discoveries about many species of fungi that could help heal us as all the way from an individual level to the planetary level. With these discoveries, naturally people are becoming more interested in how mushrooms work and what they do. Medicinal mushrooms can help heal our bodies by causing unique biological reactions (like how a unique chemical in Turkey Tail mushrooms has anticancer properties), but Psilocybin Mushrooms (otherwise known as Magic Mushrooms) not only work on the individuals biology but also on their mind (ex. Effect of psilocybin on treatment resistant depression ).
As many people struggle in the world today, answers to problems on an individual level can be the start of a whole new life. Finding these answers are not an easy task to say the least, but as technology and information becomes more available people are beginning to find ways that can solve mental issues that many people suffer from and have suffered from for hundreds likely thousands of years (ex. Depression, Substance Use Disorder, many more).
Psilocybin containing mushrooms are mind altering substances at higher doses, whereas a lower/micro dose could be considered a nootropic. It has also been said that Psilocybin can hep promote neurogenesis . As a result of many studies on Psilocybin having positive results, it is now being researched more then ever.
Just like any “drug” psilocybin and psilocyn must and should go through vigorous testing and have many studies conducted on their properties and effects. The mind-altering effects should be used in a controlled setting or under proper prescription. The spores of the mushrooms that contain Psilocybin on the other hand most certainly should also be studied in order to understand the organism more entirely.
**Let us be clear, the legal information in this article is all hypothetical and should in no way be used in an official setting without consulting a real legal advisor. **
As was mentioned at the top of the article, most places allow for the import and possession of spores (some exceptions for example are California, Idaho, and Georgia). The same lack of information regarding spores specifically comes up in the USA and many other countries after doing a bit of a search on google. The illegal substances are psilocybin and psilocyn, as they are the mind-altering substance. So, studying the spores (which contain no psilocybin or psilocyn) in a microscopic setting, or even before a certain stage in growth would very likely but also This erowid article briefly discusses California’s laws on spores. In Canada as well as the USA, the legal status of psilocybin mushroom spores is quite ambiguous. Nothing on the Canadian governments website seems to mention spores specifically , and Wikipedia states “Mushroom spore kits are legal and are sold openly in stores or on the internet as the spores and kits themselves are legal. Psilocybin and psilocin are illegal to possess, obtain or produce without a prescription or license as they are schedule III under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.” slightly potentially be seen as legal.
In an imaginary legal situation, the legal area of spores is so grey and ambiguous currently that by simply studying them the chances of any legal complications arising as a result of possession or sale is quite unlikely. As stated previously, these substances have been proven worthy of research due to their potential positive effects. So even if something were to somehow arise, there would likely be 2 possible outcomes for the most part.
The defendant has been selling spores *for microscopy purposes only*, and the prosecution claims spores are used to grow illegal mushrooms containing psilocybin or psilocyn.
In this situation, the prosecution would for the most part be wasting their time with the defendant, as spores contain no psilocybin or psilocyn and these substances can only be obtained under special and specific circumstances (Gross, 2000). In the worst-case scenario, one may have to hire a lawyer for a case that will very likely get put on hold for quite some time. Due to likelihood of magic mushrooms becoming legal or decriminalized in some way or other, a case like this is very weak for the prosecution as the legal areas are extremely ambiguous.
The defendant has been selling spores negligently and potentially for illegal purposes.
In this situation, the result depends on the degree of negligence. If the defendant is directly selling spores for the purpose of cultivation, they will most likely get in significant amounts of trouble. On the other end of the spectrum if the defendant sells spores for microscopy purposes but provides a grow guide with the spores the case will once again become more ambiguous. On the lighter end of the spectrum, most of those cases seem likely to be put on hold due to new research on psilocybin and psilocyn. Under all circumstances in situation (B) lawyer fees would be a considerable factor.
For the rest of the article, we have extracted information from a study done by Susan T. Gross that explains at which point in the mushroom life cycle psilocybin becomes present in the mushroom mycelium and fruiting bodies. This information highlights the stages at which we can potentially study these mushrooms in a legal manner.
There are 4 stages of the mushroom life cycle. The spores start everything off, then the mycelium begins to form, after that the primordia/pre-fruit form, and then finally come the fruiting bodies we know as mushrooms.
Germination of the spores can only take place in a suitable environment.
As the spores seek nutrients, they grow outward in a branching cobweb like manner (similar to how dendrites branch out, and also similar to how tree branches grow! See picture). This cobweb like branching system is the mycelium. This network of mycelium collects nutrients that will eventually lead to the primordia, and then the fruiting bodies.
Primordia are also known as “knots” or “pin-heads” and this is the starting stage of fruiting body growth. Once the primordia are fully grown, they become fruiting bodies that can disperse spores which then resets the life cycle as the mushrooms begin to decay.
In the study by Susan Gross spore solutions were tested and “No psilocyn or psilocybin were detected in any of the spore solutions.”. Of 29 mycelium samples tested before the primordia began to form “No psilocyn or psilocybin was detected in any of these 29 samples”. Once the primordia began to form “Of the 22 mycelium knot samples, 17 were consistent with psilocyn.”. It was determined that the mycelium knot stage of the mushroom was the earliest stage at which the psychoactive drugs could be detected. It was observed that light affected the time of development and the appearance of these mushrooms, among other specific circumstances which mycelium and later fruiting bodies require to form.
In conclusion, psilocybin mushroom spores are not illegal to buy in most places. The study of spores in a microscopic setting can help us expand our knowledge of spores and these mushrooms as a whole. Abiding by the law is very important as we are still just beginning to understand these substances and organisms, and the laws surrounding these substances are very ambiguous (but also somewhat flexible!) which is why its important to be cautions and do your research! Cultivating these substances is a very dangerous idea and we recommend you never do this unless you are doing it legally (ex. certain governments provide licenses to grow psilocybin for research purposes). Studying spores for microscopy purposes is a great way to learn about psilocybin mushrooms and fungi in general. If one is interested in having a psychedelic experience, they should do the proper research and talk to a doctor or see online about studies near you that can offer you legal psilocybin in a controlled setting.
Thanks for reading, and mush love.
-Liam C
SporesWorldwide’s P.E. 6 spores under a microscope
What’s so special about the Penis Envy mushroom strain?
If you’ve ever looked into the strength differences between each Psilocybin containing mushroom strain/variety, you would have likely come across some mention of Penis Envy mushrooms. On reddit for example, most users on mushroom and related subreddits have the common knowledge that the Penis Envy mushroom strain is generally penis shaped and produces stronger effects then the average Cubensis mushroom. Even well vetted Shroomery user RogerRabbit stated that “Cubes are cubes, with the exception of PE.” Why though? And where did the original Penis Envy mushroom come from? What makes it so different then the others? While the history of P.E. is quite mysterious and not entirely full, we are going to touch on some interesting points that may give the reader a better idea of all the hype around this particular variety of P. Cubensis.
At one point mycologist John Allen proposed that that the original Penis Envy mushroom may have been found in the Amazon by Terrence and Dennis McKenna in the early 70’s. Hamilton Morris, a journalist who investigates psychoactive substances, also stated that the original specimen “was taller and thicker than anything found in American soils.” and “A monstrous Amazonian mushroom growing on the dung of local Zebu cattle”. These statements were never confirmed to be entirely true by the McKenna brothers in terms of finding a penis shaped mushroom. Terrence often talked about masculine energies of the mushroom; you would think that he would remember a penis shaped one. The brothers did have many mushroom hunting expeditions (including a handful in the Amazon); so it seems much more likely that this fabled Amazonian spore sample found by the McKenna brothers is the parent of what we know as Penis Envy (i.e. genetic isolation).
Mycelium in its “knot” stage – Image provided by Reddit
According to Hamilton Morris’ going theory, a pioneering Psilocybe Cubensis Mycologist Steven Pollock was mailed some of the original Amazon prints from the McKennas and likely isolated it himself which later led to the penis shaped mushroom, and Penis Envy mushroom strain. Before his unfortunate death, Pollock supposedly mailed another mycologist and print vendor Rich Gee a spore print labeled ‘Penis’!
Many thought this penis shaped mushroom had been lost after some time, but John Allen eventually found Rich Gee selling spore swabs (a sterile cotton swab wiped along the gills of a mushroom to collect spores) of Penis Envy. Around the same time a user on Shroomery was said to have a print from Terrence McKenna’s personal collection…. This may have been due to some confusion about Rich Gee saying he got the print from the McKennas originally, we really do not know for certain.
At this point its hard to tell where the original Penis Envy spore sample came from, and the name itself has no known origin either.
However, in another twist to the already baffling story of the P.E. mushroom, SporesWorldwide has received a message from Rich Gee regarding the claims of John Allen (“Mushroom John,” or mjshroomer on Shroomery.org). He writes:
The Penis Envy mushrooms began with Jewel Stevens [sic; a nickname for Jule Stevens, perhaps?] who dropped by my house to show me some Amazon mushrooms he had acquired. They supposedly came from Terence McKenna in a roundabout way. There was no bloody letter with spores sent to me by anyone. The mushrooms I saw were dried and looked normal. I cultured the spores and the mushrooms were grown in a hexagon plexiglass fish tank by Jule Stevens. In the tank there were 3 distinct strains, 2 normal and one different enough to attract my attention. This strain did not look like a penis. The strain was cultivated and the mushrooms that grew were long-stemmed with big heads. I picked the biggest one which just happened to be the one that blued the most. The next generations started to look like penises. Again the biggest and bluest one was cloned. For several more generations the biggest and most bluing mushroom was cloned culminating in large penis looking mushrooms. There was never any contact with McKenna and we never met to my knowledge.
One day I collected a bag full of mushrooms from a friend who was growing the Penis Envy so I could photograph them. At the time Jewel Stevens was dating an exotic dancer and when I stopped to visit him there were 6 dancers visiting his girlfriend. They wanted to know what I had in the bag. I said, “You don’t want to know.” They insisted so I pulled a gallon zip lock out of the bag and showed them the mushrooms. I said, “Anyone have Penis Envy!” The dancers said in unison, “They look like donkey dongs!!!” That’s where the name came from.
Mushroom John has told many stories about the Penis Envy but none of it is correct and mostly his imagination.
Incredible! We may finally have an explanation for the origin of the name of the Penis Envy mushroom; and how convenient it is that its naming fits with its Freudian inspiration.
I think that even though the air around the Penis Envy mushroom strain is quite uncertain, we can be certain of a few things. First of all, its pretty darn cool to think that any one of the legends mentioned above had something to do with this heavily sought-after P. Cubensis strain/variety. On top of that, whatever happened to the Penis Envy mushroom genetics along the way for some reason made them a lot stronger than the average Cubensis mushroom, and also made it shaped like a penis. Pretty trippy! Whatever mushroom alchemy went on here, I think its some proper good alchemy at that! This unique variety of Psilocybin Cubensis will surely go down in the mycology history books.
Lastly, we will briefly list the other types of Penis Envy mushrooms that are well known to the public. In later articles these will be discussed in more detail.
Albino Penis Envy – Cross of P.E. with Albino (see image below)
Image courtesy of Imgur
Penis Envy Uncut – Another cross of P.E. with Albino
Penis Envy #6 – Texas crossed with P.E.
Albino Penis Envy Revert – A stabilized mutant substrain of Albino Penis Envy (see pictures below)
