Oyster mushroom is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms in Korea, and mechanization and automation of cultivation systems have enabled mass production. Many cultivars have been developed to replace the old ones such as ‘Suhan‘ and ‘Chunchuneutari 2 ho,‘ which have been cultivated for over 20 years. Among these, ‘Soltari‘ was developed in 2015. Although it has excellent quality, its cultivation is challenging and the productivity is somewhat lower. To address these issues, the Mushroom Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science selected the genetic resource KMCC05165 and attempted hybridization between monokaryons from KMCC05165 and ‘Soltari(KMCC04940)’. Through repeated cultivation tests and evaluation of fruiting body characteristics, the superior strain ‘Po-2019-smj22’ was selected and finally named ‘Otari‘. The optimal mycelial growth temperature of ‘Otari’ was between 25 and 30°C and optimal fruiting body growth temperature was between 13 and 18°C. Mycelial growth on PDA medium was best at 25°C, and at the same temperature, mycelial growth was similar across four media: PDA, MEA, MCM, and YM. In 1,100 mL bottle cultivation, the yield was approximately 174 g, which is about 5% higher than the control cultivar ‘Soltari‘, and the number of valid individuals was also higher at about 25. The diameter and height of the pileus were 29.8 mm and 17.6 mm, respectively, slightly smaller than ‘Soltari‘, and the stipe was thin and long with a thickness of 12.2 mm. Additionally, the pileus’ lightness index (L index) was 30.7, indicating a darker brown color compared to 'Soltari.' With excellent mycelial growth, ease of cultivation, and high yield, the new cultivar ‘Otari‘ is expected to be widely adopted by domestic oyster mushroom farms.

Recently, active research in Korea and worldwide has begun to focus on gene function and cultivar development using gene editing tools. This research, in addition to studies on edible mushroom, aims to enhance the physical and biochemical characteristics of mushrooms for applications in materials and substance production. For these studies, efficient isolation of protoplasts from the target mushroom is critical. However, several commercial cell wall-lysing enzyme cocktails, including Novozyme234, Glucanex, and Lysing enzymes, have recently been discontinued. In this study, we aimed to identify alternative enzyme systems to replace the discontinued cell wall-lysing enzymes for stable isolation of protoplasts from Ganoderma lucidum. To select an optimal osmotic buffer, enzyme function in 0.6 and 1.2 M Sorbitol, Sucrose, Mannitol, and KCl was assessed. The effect of reaction time was also evaluated. Protoplast isolation efficiency of each alternative enzyme was tested using lysing enzymes from Trichoderma harzianum, Chimax-N, and Yatalase, either individually or in combination. This matrix of studies identified enzymes and optimal conditions that could replace the discontinued lysing enzymes.

Plastics are widely used in industries in human society and because of their structural stability, degradation is a serious global issue. To estimate the degradation of plastic, 31 edible mushrooms were cultured with the selected plastic films (polyethylene [PE], polystyrene [PS], and poly(ethylene terephthalate) [PET]) for 3 months at 25 °C. Measuring the weight of the films showed that four species of mushrooms, namely Porostereum spadiceum, Ganoderma lucidum, Coprinellus micaceus, and Pleurotus ostreatus, exhibited the highest degrees of plastic degradation. In addition, the mushrooms and fungi that exhibited the most significant plastic degradation were cross-cultured to promote this degradation. As a result, cross-cultivation of G. lucidum and Aspergillus niger showed a weight loss of 2.49% for the PET film. For the PS film, Aspergillus nidulans showed a weight loss of 4.06%. Cross-cultivation of A. nidulans and C. micaceus, which showed a weight loss of 2.95%, was noted as an alternative for PS biodegradation, but is harmful to humans. These bio-degradation effects of edible mushroom will contribute to the development of alternatives for eco-friendly plastic degradation.

As a member of ectomycorrhizal fungi, Tricholoma matsutake has a symbiotic relationship with its host, Pinus densiflora. To cultivate T. matsutake artificially, the co-cultivation of T. matsutake mycelia and bacteria from shiro was introduced. In this study, bacteria were isolated from soil samples in Bonghwa-gun, and seven bacterial isolates (B22_7_B05, B22_7_B06, B22_7_B07, B22_7_B08, B22_7_B10, B22_7_B13, and B22_7_B14) promoted the growth of T. matsutake mycelia (147.48, 232.11, 266.72, 211.43, 175.17, 154.62, and 177.92%, respectively). Sequencing of the 16S rRNA region of the isolated bacteria was performed. B22_7_B05 and B22_7_B10 were identified as Bacillus toyonensis, B22_7_B06 and B22_7_B08 as Paenibacillus taichungensis, B22_7_B07 and B22_7_B14 as P. gorilla, and B22_7_B13 as P. odorifer. These bacterial isolates were associated with the shiro community and are expected to contribute to the cultivation of T. matsutake.

Tricholoma matsutake is a traditional favorite food in East Asia, cultivated in fairy rings called “shiro,” which are found near Pinus densiflora. For effective artificial cultivation of Tri. matsutake, microorganisms from symbiotic fairy rings are co-cultivated. In this study, one bacterial isolate (Y22_B35) and two fungal isolates (Y22_F64 and Y22_F68) displayed growth-promoting effects on Tri. matsutake mycelium (158.47, 125.00, and 122.26% enhanced growth, respectively). For identification, 16S rRNA or ITS regions from the microorganisms¡¯ genomes were sequenced. Other sequences, including BenA, CaM, and RPB2 were sequenced in the fungal isolates. The bacterial isolate Y22_B35 was identified as Bacillus cereus. Y22_F64 and Y22_F68 were identified as Umbelopsis nana and Aspergillus parvulus, respectively. To identify the effects of the dominant microorganisms on Tri. Matsutake cultivation, metagenomic analyses were performed. Discovery of these Tri. matsutake mycelium growth-promoting microorganisms and metagenomics analyses are expected to contribute to our understanding of Tri. matsutake fruiting body growth and construction of biomimicry.

본 연구는 대도시에서 미세먼지 없는 학교 부지를 찾는 Model Eliciting Activity (이하 MEA) 활동을 통해 고 등학교 학생들의 문제 해결 특성을 조사하기 위한 것이다. 5차시로 개발된 MEA 활동에 79명의 고등학교 2학년 학생 들이 참여 하였으며, MEA 활동지를 주요 데이터로 수집하였다. 학생들이 작성한 활동지의 개방형 질문에 대한 답을 기반으로 학생들의 문제 해결 모델을 귀납적 및 질적 방법으로 분석하였다. 먼저 학생들이 다른 데이터보다 어떤 데이 터를 우선적으로 사용했는지 순서를 분석한 후 주어진 데이터 세트를 어떻게 상호 연결하여 순서를 결정하는지 분석하 였다. 분석결과 학생들은 미세먼지 배출량이 많은 곳을 기피하기 위해 미세먼지 배출농도, 산업단지 분포 등 미세먼지 와 직접적으로 관련된 데이터를 먼저 활용하는 경향이 있음을 알 수 있었다. 흥미롭게도 MEA 활동에서 고등학생의 문 제 해결 특성은 매우 다양하여 76명의 학생이 총 61가지 유형의 문제 해결 모델을 제작한 것으로 나타났다. 문제를 해 결하기 위해 동일한 순서의 데이터를 사용하는 학생의 최대 수는 6명으로 학생들의 문제 해결 방법은 매우 다양함을 보여준다. 그러나 공통적으로 미세먼지 농도가 높은 곳을 제외하는 방법으로 미세먼지 배출과 직접적으로 관련된 데이 터를 먼저 선택하는 특성을 보였다.

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in serving frequency of elementary school meal before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Number of menus provided in June and July of 2019 and 2020 were compared for 300 elementary schools in Korea. As a result, the serving frequency of la carte and dessert was increased after COVID-19. In addition, frequencies of main dishes such as pork cutlet, chicken, sweet and sour pork, hamburger steak, and so on using processed food were increased after COVID-19. Because of the longer serving time due to staggered serving, cook's working time for serving meals became longer. Therefore, it was judged that the number of servings of processed food was increased rather than the menu with a large amount of preprocessing work. Moreover, among desserts, fruits showed increased serving frequency. Serving frequencies for juice and dairy products were also increased. However, increased servings of juice and dairy products could increase sugar intake. Thus, a careful plan for menu composition is needed to provide balanced nutrients to students under emergency situations such as an infectious disease.

Volvariella bombycinais an edible mushroom commercially cultivated in Korea and other countries. In this study, the culture characteristics and optimal growth conditions of milky mushroom strains were determined. The growth temperature and pH range of V. bombycinawas extensively investigated between 15 and 35oC and pH 3–11. For efficient cultivation, 20 types of nutrient sources were selected, specifically, 21 carbon sources, 6 organic nitrogen sources, 7 inorganic nitrogen sources, 13 amino acids, 9 organic acids, and 13 inorganic salts. The impact of each of the selected nutrition sources and their concentration on growth was investigated. The optimum temperature and pH were determined to be 30oC and pH 8.0, respectively. The optimum concentration of medium elements required for mycelial growth of V. bombycinawas determined to be as follows: carbon source, 0.7% Soluble starch; organic nitrogen source, 0.7% Soytone; inorganic nitrogen source, 1.0% (NH4)2C4H4O6; amino acid, 0.1% cysteine; organic acid, 0.07% lactic acid; and inorganic salt, 0.07 mM CaCl2.