Growing mold fungi on bread practical work. Student research work "Mysterious mold

In many universities, biology faculties give students tasks on growing mold. And they are asked not for fun, but for the sake of a biological experiment and effective student learning. Therefore, a very large number of students of biological faculties ask themselves a similar question: “How to grow mold?”. Before you start growing mold on any food, you should be very aware of what you are dealing with. Mold is nothing more than ordinary microscopic fungi, the fruiting bodies of which are able to develop in any nutrient medium. Therefore, the cultivation of mold fungi is not difficult.

Why exactly bread and where does the mold on our food come from?

In everyday life, we very often notice different types of mold on various products and objects. Mold is formed by special fungi, many of whose substances people have learned to use to their advantage. Also, people use many substances of mold fungi for the preparation of medicines and products. For the propagation of microscopic fungi (and this is exactly what mold is), special conditions are necessary, although many types of fungi reproduce well under conditions that are optimal for humans. Why is it best to use bread to grow mold? The fact is that fungi multiply faster in an environment rich in carbohydrates, as well as in a warm and humid environment. That is why potatoes, fruits and bread are ideal places for mold to develop.

The process of growing mold on bread

How to grow mold on bread? To get the ideal breeding ground for mold (bread), it is not necessary to immediately run to the store for a fresh loaf or buns, an old piece of bread is quite suitable. Please note that it is better to use a white variety of bread, because this way the process of reproduction of fungi will be better visible. To speed up the formation of mold, the experiment is best done in a warm and humid room. If it is necessary to slow down the reproduction process, put the bread in a cold and dry environment. The process of growing mold on bread consists of two steps.

Step 1. First you need to take a small piece of bread, soak it in water and cover with a plastic bag. It is better to choose a light package, because the process of mold formation will be clearly visible through it.

Step 2 Next, you need to put this bag of bread in a dark place. After a few days, the first appearance of fungal spores will be noticeable. At first, they will appear as subtle and light spots, but after a while they will become darker and gradually cover the entire bread surface. After a few more days, the mold will acquire a green tint, then darken and finally turn completely black. This process means that the fungus lives very well in this environment and they decided to increase the colony by extending their genus with their own spores.

It is important to remember that the presence of mold on food means that this product was environmentally friendly and suitable for consumption. Fungi will not thrive in a polluted environment. By the way, ordinary unleavened bread molds faster than all sorts of buns and other sweet flour products. Perhaps this is due to the presence of preservatives in sweet products that inhibit the development of mold fungi. I would like to believe that this article helped you grow mold for your experiment without difficulty and the question "How to grow mold at home?" won't bother you anymore.

Mold - video

Stock up on everything you need. To grow mold on bread, you will need the following materials: a slice of bread (any variety will do), a resealable plastic bag, a spray bottle, and water. Any type of bread can be used, but be aware that some long shelf life varieties contain preservatives that will slow mold growth. Mold grows faster on fresh bread.

• Although you can do without a spray bottle, it will help to evenly moisten the bread with a small spray of water.
• Before starting the experiment, fill the bottle with water.
• If you don't have a plastic bag, you can use any transparent, tight-fitting container instead. Tightness will prevent mold from getting out, and transparency is necessary so that you can watch the growth of mold. An old plastic or glass jar will do.

For mold to appear, it is enough to leave the product open for several days, and it will not be slow to appear. But if it needs to be grown in a short time, then a certain environment must be created for its growth. Before you grow mold, you need to stock up on one of the following ingredients, namely agar-agar, jam, bread, tomato paste, potatoes, sour cream, pickles and blue cheese.

Methods for growing mold

• Agar-agar. Labs use agar-agar to grow mold. The same can be done at home. Unpeeled raw potatoes should be cut into cubes, and boiled over low heat for thirty minutes. After that, the broth is filtered and put on fire again, but only with the addition of agar-agar, which is sold in any store. After the powder has dissolved, the mold breeding medium will be ready. Now you need to wait until the mold itself starts up in agar-agar, but you can bring it from any other product so that it grows faster.
• Bread. Surely everyone knows that mold often appears on stale bread. Therefore, if you want it to appear on it, then before you grow mold on bread, you need to sprinkle it with water and wrap it in a plastic bag. Also, bread must be put in a warm room where the sun's rays do not penetrate. After that, it remains only to wait for the mold to appear. If you want to grow black mold, then you should buy white bread for this purpose.
• Other food items. If the above methods do not quite suit you, then mold can be grown in one of the following products: in a jar of pickles, with jam or tomato paste. Before you make mold in these products, you need to stir them with a dirty spoon, after which you should close the jar tightly and put it in a warm place. Very soon you will be able to watch her seedlings.
• Blue cheese. In addition, the mold can be diluted with the help of mycelium, which is the vegetative body of fungi and actinomycetes. To do this, take a piece of blue cheese, pour sour cream over it, and leave it all at room temperature. Do not hesitate, soon you will see whole plantations of mold. Don't be upset if your mold turns black. These are just ripe boxes with spores that are at the tips of the mycelium. Once they open and scatter these spores around, your mold growth will increase significantly. Now you know how to grow mold in the quantities you need.

Mold is a multicellular fungus with many uses. Mold is found everywhere; its reproductive spores are present in the air and on various surfaces. Mold can cause food spoilage and health problems, but it is also used in food preservation and medicine. Growing mold is a great way to study this interesting organism. Read this article to learn how to grow mold at home.

Steps

Part 1

Find out what mold is. Mold is just one of the many types of fungi that humans encounter on a daily basis. Mold is a multicellular organism (kingdom "Mushrooms"). A single organism consisting of genetically homogeneous cells is called a mycelium.

Learn how mold affects life on Earth. Most people think that mold is a coating on bread or fruit. Know that not all types of mold are dangerous. Some types of mold prevent food from spoiling, such as certain types of cheese. Thanks to other types (for example, penicillin), antibiotics appeared in the world, saving many lives. In nature, mold and other fungi play an important role - they participate in the process of decomposition of organic matter (they break down animal and plant cells and extract nutrients from them).

Pay attention to three points that you should definitely know. Molds are living things, and their cell structure is more like that of animals than plants. Like all living things, molds need water, food and a place to live.

Part 2

growing mold

1. Identify a potential food source. As mentioned above, virtually anything that used to be alive (and sometimes non-living) is a potential food source for mold. However, some types of mold are more common than others.

   Choose the right container. Mold releases spores that can cause allergies and even lead to infection. While many forms of mold are harmless, it's best if you protect yourself. Find a suitable mold growing container. Choose a transparent container so you can watch the mold grow without putting yourself in danger. The container must be airtight and waterproof.

   • One of the best container options is a resealable plastic bag. This way you can watch the mold grow. Use a high quality plastic bag for this purpose.
   • Use only a disposable container. You should not open the container after you have grown mold in it.

2. Take care of the ideal environment. As noted earlier, mold is not afraid of the sun, but strong exposure to sunlight can kill mold. Also, while some molds can thrive in the cold, most grow better in warm conditions. Find a warm, shady spot where you can grow mold.

3. Place a food source for the mold in the container. Mold spores are everywhere; they are also on the product you place in the container.

   • Make sure the environment in the container is sufficiently moist. Your goal is to seal the container and never open it again. If you see that the food source has dried up, you can open the container slightly and add water to it. However, don't overdo it - most molds don't grow in water.