What are the steps on how to culture fungi?

A wide range of media are used for growing fungi. Most mycologists develop preferences for certain types of media based on experience and peculiarities of the type of fungi that are routinely grown. Media will affect colony morphology and color, whether particular structures are formed or not, and may affect whether the fungus will even grow in culture. For example, some fungi lack the necessary enzymes to utilize different carbon sources. All fungi require several specific elements for growth and reproduction. The requirements for growth are generally less stringent than for sporulation, so it is often necessary to try several types of media when attempting to identify a fungus in culture. Most fungi thrive on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), but this can be too rich for many fungi, so that excessive mycelial growth is obtained at the expense of sporulation. I have found that most of the fungi isolated from soil, or from substrates in the soil, i.e., plant debris, grow well on Corn Meal Agar (CMA), a relatively weak medium compared to PDA. Similarly, wood-inhabiting fungi and dematiaceous (dark pigmented) fungi often sporulate better on CMA or Oat Agar, both of which have less easily digestible carbohydrate than PDA. Cellulose-destroying fungi and spoilage fungi retain their ability to produce cellulase when grown on a weak medium such as Water Agar (WA) or Potato Carrot Agar (PCA) with a piece of sterile filter paper, wheat straw or lupin stem placed on the agar surface. The introduction of pieces of tissue, such as filter paper, wheat straw, rice, grains, leaves or dung, often produces good sporulation dependent on the organism grown.What are the steps on how to culture fungi?
Fail to clean your shower for a couple of months ... you'll grow a loverly crop.What are the steps on how to culture fungi?
Don't remove your shoes for an entire year.
If you are growing fungi from an animal sample such as hair then the root of the hair must be embedded in the agar. The sample, whatever it may be, needs to be placed in the agar. In my lab we use tweezers that have been placed in alcohol and passed through a flame.


From a veterinary standpoint most fungi grow fine at room temp. I t can take up to 4 weeks to get your sample to the point where the fungi is identifiable under a scope. It takes that long for some types of fungi to grow the parts that help you I.D. it.


Your agar must be sealed in order to maintain a high humidity level and prevent your agar from drying out.