Hello!
I’m a trade electrician/mushroom farmer looking for a way to provide about a 100-120kV timed pulse of electricity through a Petri dish of agar (jelly substance) which will be sterilized in an autoclave.
I think I need conductive leads of some type to connect to the Petri dish lid permanently to touch the agar; and then some type of pulse generator, tens unit?, or muscle stimulator? with leads that can connect to the Petri dish lid connectors.
If anyone can see their way through this using any combination of components, please help me figure out how to shock my mycelium dishes

 

Do you have any idea of how much voltage 100 kV is? In most situations, just because of stray capacitance, that would be a deadly voltage, plus it would be very hard to control.

You might want to check your sources - 100 kV is a huge voltage.

 

Somebody into too many shrooms?

 

A police taser gun produces 50kV. Why do you need double that to stun your mushrooms?

 

A TENS unit might get over 100V but nowhere near 120kV.

I can imagine that a brief low-current pulse might do something to a mushroom, like make the mycelium decide to fruit. I cannot imagine why a lightning bolt could be useful for any purpose other than killing it.

 

Do you have any idea of how much voltage 100 kV is? In most situations, just because of stray capacitance, that would be a deadly voltage, plus it would be very hard to control.

You might want to check your sources - 100 kV is a huge voltage.

I am aware 100,000 V is a lot-I am referencing “Radical Mycology” as my source. From what I have read in other places as well, 100-130kV is the sweet spot

 

Somebody into too many shrooms?

I do like mushrooms. They are so tasty

 

A police taser gun produces 50kV. Why do you need double that to stun your mushrooms?

My reference is a Mushroom textbook. There is no mention of how this is accomplished and I am sure I will need safety precautions. I know it can be done and has been done-I just need the right componenets

 

A TENS unit might get over 100V but nowhere near 120kV.

I can imagine that a brief low-current pulse might do something to a mushroom, like make the mycelium decide to fruit. I cannot imagine why a lightning bolt could be useful for any purpose other than killing it.

 

I thought so too-but this would be the same principle as mushrooms growing where lightning strikes. I need to create lightning

 

I thought so too-but this would be the same principle as mushrooms growing where lightning strikes. I need to create lightning

In nature, the soil is saturated with micro and macro organisms that secrete antifungal substances and greatly inhibit the growth of fungi.
After a lightning strike, a certain volume of soil is sterilized, all living things in this volume are killed.
Mycelium preserved outside the sterile volume and fungal spores actively germinate in the sterilized volume and multiply effectively, feeding on the bodies of organisms killed by lightning.
That's all. There is no magic.

 

Where lightening strikes, or where high tension transmission lines are down, think step voltage. High voltage over some distance can be simulated with lower voltage over a shorter distance. An electrode in a petro dish is vastly different than electrodes in a spawn bag

 

Hello!
I’m a trade electrician/mushroom farmer looking for a way to provide about a 100-120kV timed pulse of electricity through a Petri dish of agar (jelly substance) which will be sterilized in an autoclave.
I think I need conductive leads of some type to connect to the Petri dish lid permanently to touch the agar; and then some type of pulse generator, tens unit?, or muscle stimulator? with leads that can connect to the Petri dish lid connectors.
If anyone can see their way through this using any combination of components, please help me figure out how to shock my mycelium dishes

Hi, i have some questions.

First, you are not supposed to inhale the mushrooms (ha ha).

Ok so this is a series project, that's ok with me. Some questions.

First, what is the projected conductance or resistance of the substance that is to receive the high voltage pulse? I ask this because depending on the resistance the power of that pulse may have to be high as well as the voltage. That is because lower resistances draw more current than higher resistances.

Second, in the literature you read about mushrooms, where exactly did they do the testing? Was it in a dish like you are going to do or was it outside? I ask because i am wondering what the ingredients have to be besides the mushroom(s) itself.

This is a little more interesting because maybe the electric shock is something that can happen in nature to a lesser degree. Another mushroom or a plant nearby may put out a mild electrical current that the mushroom can detect and 'interpret' as a sign that it can grow without a problem, or something like that. I think this is a fairly new area of research.

 

In nature, the soil is saturated with micro and macro organisms that secrete antifungal substances and greatly inhibit the growth of fungi.
After a lightning strike, a certain volume of soil is sterilized, all living things in this volume are killed.
Mycelium preserved outside the sterile volume and fungal spores actively germinate in the sterilized volume and multiply effectively, feeding on the bodies of organisms killed by lightning.
That's all. There is no magic.

There is more, though. And your response did not list one piece of equipment to accomplish my 100-120kV jolt. Maybe I will get a technical response in here?? With data. And model numbers of step-up generators, capacitors, maybe?
‍ I’ve worked in construction for 25 years. and am really bored with ego play. I think I may be looking for an old timer with loads of viable information at this point. I got the point. A room full of men will never take you seriously. Even with posted explanation from a book.

 

It is not a matter of us taking you seriously or not, it to me and I suspect the others it is a matter of this being new to most or all of us and us not wanting you to be injured or worse when experimenting with this idea.

 

View attachment 293415
There is more, though. And your response did not list one piece of equipment to accomplish my 100-120kV jolt. Maybe I will get a technical response in here?? With data. And model numbers of step-up generators, capacitors, maybe?
‍ I’ve worked in construction for 25 years. and am really bored with ego play. I think I may be looking for an old timer with loads of viable information at this point. I got the point. A room full of men will never take you seriously. Even with posted explanation from a book.

Hi,

I took you seriously but i do like to joke around and that's with any post really, even my own.

100kV is pretty high up there and although i worked in power electronics i have not worked that much with very high voltages like that. It's hard to recommend something anyway because we dont know the required power. You have to know the power too or a voltage generator may not be able to handle the load and thus you never get the full voltage even though it was designed to put out 100kV. This is very important.

It sounds to me like the only way to get the right information is to ask someone who has already done this already. That sounds like the only way to get what you need. Everything else will always be experimental, which means it may not work until you buy another unit of some type or build another unit.

The first thing that comes to mind is a Van De Graaff generator but i dont know if that's enough power for your application, and how would you pulse it.

 

Hi, i have some questions.

First, you are not supposed to inhale the mushrooms (ha ha).

Ok so this is a series project, that's ok with me. Some questions.

First, what is the projected conductance or resistance of the substance that is to receive the high voltage pulse? I ask this because depending on the resistance the power of that pulse may have to be high as well as the voltage. That is because lower resistances draw more current than higher resistances.

Second, in the literature you read about mushrooms, where exactly did they do the testing? Was it in a dish like you are going to do or was it outside? I ask because i am wondering what the ingredients have to be besides the mushroom(s) itself.

This is a little more interesting because maybe the electric shock is something that can happen in nature to a lesser degree. Another mushroom or a plant nearby may put out a mild electrical current that the mushroom can detect and 'interpret' as a sign that it can grow without a problem, or something like that. I think this is a fairly new area of research.

Thank you!
So I would like to introduce the shock in the Petri dish phase

Hi, i have some questions.

First, you are not supposed to inhale the mushrooms (ha ha).

Ok so this is a series project, that's ok with me. Some questions.

First, what is the projected conductance or resistance of the substance that is to receive the high voltage pulse? I ask this because depending on the resistance the power of that pulse may have to be high as well as the voltage. That is because lower resistances draw more current than higher resistances.

Second, in the literature you read about mushrooms, where exactly did they do the testing? Was it in a dish like you are going to do or was it outside? I ask because i am wondering what the ingredients have to be besides the mushroom(s) itself.

This is a little more interesting because maybe the electric shock is something that can happen in nature to a lesser degree. Another mushroom or a plant nearby may put out a mild electrical current that the mushroom can detect and 'interpret' as a sign that it can grow without a problem, or something like that. I think this is a fairly new area of research.

this is the dish I would like to jolt, but before the actual strains grow from the center. red algae agar with nutrients make up the gelatin like dish. I would imagine it’s like conducting through jello.
We are using different methods to spark faster fruiting. I am aware that all types of energy, light, and frequency can be used-but I GOTTA do this one

 

It is not a matter of us taking you seriously or not, it to me and I suspect the others it is a matter of this being new to most or all of us and us not wanting you to be injured or worse when experimenting with this idea.

I understand! I am a Master Electrician and safety is a priority-my wheelhouse is commercial, industrial, residential installation design/build, low voltage, etc. basically all electric systems in all structures. But that’s larger scale.

I know to keep the leads separate and wear gloves for safety. Do you think this would work?

 

Thank you!
So I would like to introduce the shock in the Petri dish phase

View attachment 293426
this is the dish I would like to jolt, but before the actual strains grow from the center. red algae agar with nutrients make up the gelatin like dish. I would imagine it’s like conducting through jello.
We are using different methods to spark faster fruiting. I am aware that all types of energy, light, and frequency can be used-but I GOTTA do this one

Hello again,

That looks very interesting. Think it would work with chickens? (ha ha)

So it looks like you found a candidate for the high voltage pulse generation, congrats.
I cant say for sure that would work because i dont know the resistance of the stuff in the petri dish.

Since you are an electrician, maybe you can apply a smaller DC voltage from one side of the dish to the other and measure the current. You can then use Ohm's Law to calculate the approximate resistance. That would give you some idea what kind of oomph you need behind that HV pulse so it may help select something that would work right out of the box like that one you found already. I am not sure if they give the current spec though, but it would have to be somewhat small.

Hey maybe once you get this thing going you can come back and report how well it worked. That would be interesting to hear about.

 

If you insist to do or contact high-voltage related products then you can buy High Voltage Insulated Safety Gloves to protect yourself.