Mushroom Growth with Biogas Production from Used Substrate

Project goal: To design a nearly carbon-free application to grow approximately 3 million pounds of mushrooms per year. Recent developments in the field of medicinal mushrooms have shown that two species, commonly known as turkey tail and lion’s mane, are linked to possible cancer treatments, increased immune system function, and enhanced brain and liver function. Both mushroom species are grown in a commercial atrium containing a humidifier and drip system to maximize growth. Nearly all the water used in this process goes to the growth of the mushrooms, while any excess is reused and filtered using reverse osmosis.The used mushroom substrate, which is made primarily of straw, is exposed to the cellulase enzyme, which breaks down the substrate into simple sugars that can be fermented into bioethanol. The process has been shown to be sustainable and economically efficient.