I had a number of questions to ask the associate professor giving the seminar. My first was on safety. The answer was the fungi involved are not in a state that causes medical problems. On the other hand, all wood particles can be a long term threat for lung cancer. It is strongly recommended that you use a mask with a NIOSH rating of at least 95. Right now, I don't even know what that means, but I am looking into it.
In the general info, there are lots of fungi out there, and the OSU people are looking for new varieties in the Amazon yearly. Their interest are fungi that produce COLORS! They have found how to easily replicate the colors and use in various commercial applications. Their advantage over anniline dyes are two fold. Aniline dyes fade. Fungi originated colors DO NOT FADE! They can add colors to wood that is used in plates/vases, etc. I am not as interested in these as I am the black lines.
The formation of black lines are interesting. One fungi has no need for black lines. Black lines are made by fungi when another fungi is found. The two say "DANGER, DANGER!" and form the black lines as a barrier to each other and neither passes that line. Sort of a French Maginot Line, but one that the Germans respect. The one on the interior can jump the line, but only to an area with no other fungi. That is the way you get numerous circles near each other. The black lines follow the lengthwise holes in the wood.
There is another type of fungi that is colored. These can be added and "paint" the wood canvas. The current colors are green, yellow, red, and everything else but blue. The blue we see in pine (for instance) is actually black but just appears blue. They do not jump the black lines but can color within the black lines.
The bottom line is that fungi are commercially available to stripe your own wood and to color it, also. You can also redampen dry wood and add fungi when kept under proper conditions.
Cool stuff,
Pete
In the general info, there are lots of fungi out there, and the OSU people are looking for new varieties in the Amazon yearly. Their interest are fungi that produce COLORS! They have found how to easily replicate the colors and use in various commercial applications. Their advantage over anniline dyes are two fold. Aniline dyes fade. Fungi originated colors DO NOT FADE! They can add colors to wood that is used in plates/vases, etc. I am not as interested in these as I am the black lines.
The formation of black lines are interesting. One fungi has no need for black lines. Black lines are made by fungi when another fungi is found. The two say "DANGER, DANGER!" and form the black lines as a barrier to each other and neither passes that line. Sort of a French Maginot Line, but one that the Germans respect. The one on the interior can jump the line, but only to an area with no other fungi. That is the way you get numerous circles near each other. The black lines follow the lengthwise holes in the wood.
There is another type of fungi that is colored. These can be added and "paint" the wood canvas. The current colors are green, yellow, red, and everything else but blue. The blue we see in pine (for instance) is actually black but just appears blue. They do not jump the black lines but can color within the black lines.
The bottom line is that fungi are commercially available to stripe your own wood and to color it, also. You can also redampen dry wood and add fungi when kept under proper conditions.
Cool stuff,
Pete
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