<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>The famous FEMS study that covers this is here:</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>http://www.aseanbiodiversity.info/Abstract/51002968.pdf</span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>From the paper, it is easy to see how I concluded the substrate pH should be around a staggeringly low 3.5, which was found to be the optimal growth and brightest luminosity pH of the substrate DURING FRUITING, but I am betting it is not ideal during the vegetative growth period, a completely different phase of fungal development. Other white rot fungus like Stipticus grow on wood with an initial pH of around 5.0. The fungus drops it lower as it digests the wood. The lower pH of 3.5 is ideal during fruiting.</span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>I think by either buffering the wood's pH or
dropping it too low like I did, you can mess up the growth of this species. Basically, I was trying _too_ hard. ;)<br></span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>Roger</span></div><div><span></span></div><div><br></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Roger H <domitron@yahoo.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> miloh <froggytoad@gmail.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> Rikke Rasmussen <rikke.c.rasmussen@gmail.com>; "bio@lists.noisebridge.net" <bio@lists.noisebridge.net>; "tastebridge@lists.noisebridge.net" <tastebridge@lists.noisebridge.net>; Matthew Downs <downs.matt@gmail.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b>
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 1:04 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Bio] pH discovery that explains why my Stipticus experiments are probably failing<br></font><br>
<div id="yiv596175246"><div><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><div><span>3.8 is more acidic than even orange juice and would kill many bacteria and fungi. It also is the ideal pH for this species but apparently the substrate is turned that low by the mycelium in time, not that the original substrate should be that low. That was the part I did not get originally. The pH of the substrate should not be that low initially. <br></span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>Roger</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><br></div><div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;"><font face="Arial" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> miloh <froggytoad@gmail.com><br><b><span style="font-weight:bold;">To:</span></b>
Roger H
<domitron@yahoo.com><br><b><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cc:</span></b> Rikke Rasmussen <rikke.c.rasmussen@gmail.com>; "bio@lists.noisebridge.net" <bio@lists.noisebridge.net>; "tastebridge@lists.noisebridge.net" <tastebridge@lists.noisebridge.net>; Matthew Downs <downs.matt@gmail.com><br><b><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, November 8, 2011 10:36 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight:bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Bio] pH discovery that explains why my Stipticus experiments are probably failing<br></font><br>
<div id="yiv596175246"><div>Is it me, or is 3 a hella low ph?</div>
<div>Good notekeeping!</div>
<div class="yiv596175246gmail_quote">On Nov 8, 2011 8:36 PM, "Roger H" <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:domitron@yahoo.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:domitron@yahoo.com">domitron@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote class="yiv596175246gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><div><span>I believe I have discovered my mistake in growing the Stipticus. The starting pH of a wood-decomposing substrate should be higher than the growth pH. White-rot wood-rotting fungi such as Stipticus decrease pH through the release of oxalic acid. The starting pH in the research paper I found online* suggests that the fungi is well accustomed to a starting wood pH of around 5.1, which a white-rot fungus takes to 3.9 (ideal is 3.5-3.8 in this species). Thus by me starting the pH of the liquid culture at 3.8, the fungus probably cannot grow to release oxalic acid to lower the pH as it does in nature. And my Burning Man 2007 bags DID start at a pH of about 5, actually by mistake according to my notes! So, I think I have solved the problem of why nothing is working when I lower the pH to the optimal growth
pH. I will start a new liquid culture at a pH of 5.0 and bags accordingly and allow the fungus to lower the pH to the ideal growth level as it does in nature.<br></span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>Roger</span></div>
<div><span><br></span></div><div>* See: http://les.bf.uni-lj.si/fileadmin/datoteke_asistentov/mhumar/clanki/2001_pHafterdecay_holz_als_roh.pdf</div>
<div><br></div><div>PSS - A 4% dextrose/light malt liquid culture as I was using is around 5.3 pH without anything added. Under these conditions the mycelium was growing very well, which correlates with my hunch that I should not be dropping the pH to the optimal growth-stage pH but rather let the mycelium handle the drop.</div>
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