A Little Unorthodox But Effectively Successful

With the failure of the spore sprouting test on Lab Sample NF-2014-001 things have turned a bit gloomy around the Nomadic Fungi Institute. Then this morning the NFI archivist approached me with his head hung low, and I thought to myself Damn, he's going to resign. Just what I need, staff quitting just because one damn lab test didn't work out....

Not surprisingly he began the conversation with "I think you are going to be mad at me, but I have something to tell you."

Struggling to keep the growl out of my voice, I responded "Go ahead, I'm sure we can work something out." 

He stood there for a half second, then with a stutter he said "Well, when we were doing the lab work on the spore sample, I couldn't find any disinfectant to clean the tools with so I used kerosene from an old can I found out in the tool shed. And, well, afterwords I didn't want to pour the kerosene down the sink, so I put the bucket in the shed, next to the lawnmower. And, well, I don't know how it got in there, but when I went out to the tool shed today I found this in the bottom of the bucket, and, well..."

He held out a Matchbox Ford Gremlin covered in green and yellow carbuncles. My eyes did that cartoon bug out thing and I yelled "Eureka! We have sprouted spores!!!"

Spore Sprouting Test Concluded

The spore spouting test on Lab Sample NF- 2014-001 is officially over.

It began auspiciously as a culture of clear slime slowly developing over the entire surface of the vehicle. (See previous document: Spore Sprouting Terrarium Up Date)  Unfortunately during the past 30 days no new developments have been noted. So we have come to the conclusion that the NF spores have failed to germinate.

The excitement generated by this test has been keeping the NFI staff spirits very high and very productive. Lots of of items on the to do list have been completed. The backlog of paperwork has been whittled down to mere sticks, and even the more menial tasks such as cleaning the bathroom has been attended to with a smile.

But now, with this official announcement that the test has failed, a dark cloud hangs over NFI. The old musty files seem twice as musty and twice as numerous. Complaints of allergies have replaced whistled tunes...

Spore Spouting Terrarium Up Date

On May 2nd, 2014 the Nomadic Fungi Institute began conducting tests on NF spores to determine if the spores can germinate under controlled conditions. Relying on data gathered during the examination of Sample BT OTT-NF2014, the NFI labs created what appears to be the preferred environment of NF spores inside an air tight specimen jar. This jar and all documents pertaining to this test are now labeled as Lab Sample NF Spore Spout 2014-001.

June 1st, 2014, the following notes were made on Lab Sample NF Spore Sprout 2014-001.

During the first 30 days a glossy sheen appeared on all the surfaces of the vehicle. Developments are encouraging.

During the next 30 days, the sheen developed into a thick clear slime. The under carriage and interior floor panels have buckled. The pleather seats appear soft and supple. Although there are no visible signs of mycelium growth, we remain optimistic.

All notes are based on visual observations only. The lid of the jar remains sealed and has not been opened.

Terrariums Of Oil and Gasoline

The research lab at the Nomadic Fungi Institute has been a very busy place as the investigation of the sample BT OTT-NF2014 continues to shed new light on the world of nomadic fungi.

In the last NFI document What Attracts Nomadic Fungus Spores, it was noted that the preferred environment of the NF spores is one that is heavily saturated with modern industrial products made from polyvinyl chlorides and/or petroleum, materials that are commonly associated with automobiles.

Following this line of observation, the NFI lab has proposed to construct a sealed container that mimics this preferred environment, and to use this container in the attempt to sprout NF spores.

On May 1st 2014, NFI acquired two miniaturized Austin Mini Metros. One of these is being held as a control model, while the other is being used as the base material on which the NFI lab hopes to sprout NF spores.

On May 2nd 2014, the base model was placed inside a straight sided, clear glass specimen jar along with a large dollop of motor oil sludge collected from Oily Joe's Auto Service Shop. The container was then infused with NF spores and sealed.

As of this posting May 4th 2014, no activity has been noted inside the jar.

What Attracts Nomadic Fungus Spores

The Nomadic Fungi Institute has continued with the analysis of the Nomadic Fungus specimen - BP OTT-NF2014.

As noted in the previous document Extraction Of Fertile Nomadic Fungus Spores, NFI has successfully extracted spore samples and is now focusing on how those spores interact with the environment and what materials they respond to.

Unlike most molds and fungi, the Nomadic Fungus spores do not thrive on rotting organic materials such as wood or food stuffs. In fact if the Nomadic Fungus spores are forced to remain in such an environment they shrivel up and quickly disintegrate. Surprisingly, Nomadic Fungus spores will bounce off of natural fibers such as cotton or silk, but will become firmly entangled in the fibers of the shag carpet.

It has been noted in controlled lab tests that the airborne Nomadic Fungus spores are more inclined to land on materials made from plastic, rubber, or steel. Surfaces coated with petroleum based products such as KY jelly or 10W-30 motor oil will attract the Nomadic Fungus spores with an almost magnetic pull, whereas liquids such as distilled water or vegetable oil have the opposite effect, repelling the Nomadic Fungus spore away.

These early observations suggest that the Nomadic Fungus spores have evolved to thrive in habitats that are composed of modern industrial products, and that the ideal environment for the germination and propagation of NF spores is the automobile.

Nomadic Fungi on Instagram

The Nomadic Fungi Institute is now posting on Instagram at @nomadic_fungi ,also look for hashtag #nomadicfungi

As part of our long range goal to spread the word about Nomadic Fungi, NFI has steadily been building an online presence, first by constructing the NFI wed site: The World Of Nomadic Fungi, then launching into the field of social media with our own FaceBook Page. Now, NFI has stepped up the pace with the addition of an Instagram account: @nomadic_fungi 

On @nomadic_fungi you will find images posted directly from the NFI staff. Some of these images will be official documents that include brief descriptions, and some will be off the cuff photos, a view into the world of NFI.

For the most complete information and news always visit the NFI web site at www.WorldOfNomadicFungi.com  

Extraction Of Fertile Nomadic Fungus Spores

With the recent acquisition of the BP Oil Transport Truck Nomadic Fungus specimen NFI has begun the very delicate process of examination and documentation.

We can verify at this point that the specimen produces ballistospores, which is a spore that is discharged into the air once the fungus has come into maturity. This specimen appears to be just short of maturing and discharging its first ballistosposes.

Using a 5X magnification lamp and micro-tweezers NFI has extracted a few spore samples. These spores which are practically invisible to the naked eye are structurally very solid and have evolved to float on the lightest puff of wind.