Testing the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus in simulated microgravity by a clinostat

Planning long-term space missions, investigating growth of edible plants and fungi is of utmost importance. To investigate the behavior of plants or mushrooms in microgravity, the situation is usually simulated by using a clinostat on which the objects under investigation are slowly rotated around an axis perpendicular to the direction of gravity, in this way steadily alternating the possible gravitropic response of roots and other parts. Here we present investigations of growing Pleuratus ostreatus, an edible oyster mushroom, on a clinostat in comparison with experiments under full unmodified gravity. We show that the mycelium grew similarly in both situations on a macroscopic and a microscopic scale, suggesting that this mushroom may be suitable for growth on the ISS or on long-term manned missions.