I built a DIY "Fungal Printer" that uses light to guide mycelium growth into custom patterns. Here is how it works!
Hey everyone!
Long-time lurker here. I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of hardware and biology, so I wanted to share a fun DIY project I've been experimenting with in my kitchen lab.
This actually started as a research project of mine back in 2022. I was looking into how different microbial cultures react to environmental stimuli, and I became obsessed with the principle of light-inhibited growth—essentially using light to control mycelium development into precise visual patterns.
After a lot of tweaking since then (and way too many contaminated agar plates), I finally managed to turn that concept into a compact, functional setup!
How it works: Instead of using mechanical nozzles like a standard 3D printer, it uses light as an invisible, non-invasive barrier. Since certain fungal strains are sensitive to light exposure, I can project specific light patterns onto the culture medium. It basically tells the mycelium, "Hey, don't grow in the bright areas, but feel free to spread over in the dark."
The current setup: To get the best contrast, I’ve been testing different combinations of dry-powder agar mixtures for quick activation, utilizing standard petri dishes and disposable inoculating loops. I also put together a modular frame to house the culture and hold the light source perfectly in place.
I’m just treating this as a fun bio-art and maker experiment right now, but I wanted to bring it to the real experts here to get your thoughts:
- For the experienced growers: Have you ever noticed light-inhibition happening accidentally in your setups? Which strains do you think would have the strongest visual contrast?
- What kind of cool geometric patterns or graphics would you try to grow if you had a setup like this?
Would love to hear your feedback or just nerd out about bio-art with you all! 🙌