InoculateTheWorld | About Our Company & Mushroom Genetics

Established in 2016, InoculateTheWorld is a family-owned mushroom genetics company specializing in mushroom spores for microscopy, taxonomy, and research. We are deeply passionate about education, citizen science, and a do-it-yourself approach to learning about the natural world.

 

Our Story

Originally founded as InoculateTheWest, we began with a passion for mushrooms and foraging. Our founder, Drew Collins, spent much of his life foraging for mushrooms and other wild foods as a hobby. Selling mushrooms to restaurants, friends, and family was mostly a way to cover the gas needed to go find more mushrooms. The hunt itself was always at the forefront of Drew’s mind.

Over the years, InoculateTheWorld has grown into a widely recognized source for mushroom spores and unique genetics, serving researchers, labs, institutions, and microscopy enthusiasts throughout the United States. Our focus has always gone beyond simply building a large catalog. We believe wholeheartedly that these brilliant genetics should be documented, preserved, studied, and made accessible to the people who care about them.

InoculateTheWorld was established in 2016 during a very different era for the mushroom community. It was a quiet space with many brilliant minds working largely under the radar of the broader world. Using forums like Reddit, Shroomery, and other mushroom-focused boards, Drew shared photos and stories of the mushrooms he was finding. People were quick to notice some of the more unusual and unique mushrooms Drew was finding, and began asking for spore prints to study the mushrooms themselves. One thing led to another, and InoculateTheWorld was born.

Since then, we’ve worked to build a collection that includes well-known varieties alongside rare, unusual, and wild-sourced genetics. Many of the genetics we’ve offered have come through relationships with researchers, collectors, citizen scientists, and members of the broader mushroom community. We continue to travel the world collecting wild specimens, documenting their origins, and helping make new genetics available to the broader fungi community.

Today, InoculateTheWorld remains family-owned and independent.

While the company has grown considerably since its beginnings, our interests, passions, and principles have remained the same. 

 

 

 

Mushroom Genetics & Research

Genetics are at the center of what we do.

More than 50% of the microscopy spores available through InoculateTheWorld have received full-genome DNA sequencing, helping provide additional information about the genetics represented in our collection. InoculateTheWorld genetics have been involved in both private and public genome-sequencing projects and have contributed to research published through the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

For us, sequencing isn’t simply about putting another claim on a product page. It contributes to a larger body of information that can help researchers better understand mushrooms, relationships between specimens, and the diversity that exists within these organisms.

Since our inception, transparency around genetics has been at the heart of our mission. A strain name alone doesn’t always tell the whole story; genetics carrying the same name can circulate through countless collections and change over time. We want our customers to have confidence that the material they receive is accurately represented and documented. Our sequencing work allows us to periodically validate samples in our library and maintain greater confidence in the identity and labeling of the genetics we preserve.

 

What You’ll Find at InoculateTheWorld

Our collection of products includes mushroom spore syringes, liquid cultures, isolated spore syringes, spore prints, spore swabs, and other microscopy and research materials, with a particular emphasis on genetic diversity.

Our catalog includes over 150 strains, from familiar varieties to unusual specimens and wild-sourced collections.

We regularly introduce new genetics and limited releases, which means the collection changes throughout the year.

 

 

From Wild Specimens to the Lab

The genetics we find ourselves most excited about begin far away from a laboratory.

Wild mushroom specimens can represent genetics tied to a particular region, ecosystem, or naturally occurring population. Our team has and continues to travel the world to collect these wild specimens. From wild Psilocybe azurescens collected on the Oregon Coast to Psilocybe cubensis foraged from a pasture in Costa Rica, our interest in mushroom genetics extends far beyond the lab.

This combination of field collection, microscopy, genetic preservation, and sequencing is one of the areas of mushroom research that continues to fascinate us most.

This also ensures that a great deal of the material you will find at InoculateTheWorld is not something you’ll necessarily find in every mushroom spore catalog. Our library is just as rare as it is expansive.

 

 

Part of the Mushroom Community Since 2016

InoculateTheWorld wouldn’t exist without the larger mushroom community.

Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to interact with researchers, mycologists, cultivators, collectors, educators, artists, businesses, and countless people who simply became fascinated by fungi.

Our products have been carried by retail stores in states including Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Michigan, extending InoculateTheWorld beyond our online store.

We maintain an active presence online, where customers and members of the mushroom community regularly share their experiences, questions, microscopy observations, and enthusiasm for fungi.

Customer reviews displayed on InoculateTheWorld are submitted by actual customers. We do not pay customers to leave reviews.

Understory — An InoculateTheWorld Podcast

In 2026, we launched Understory, an InoculateTheWorld podcast featuring long-form conversations with scientists, researchers, mycologists, authors, cultivators, historians, and other people whose work intersects with mushrooms and psychedelics.

The goal of Understory is simple: create a place for thoughtful conversations with people doing interesting work and preserve those conversations for anyone who wants to learn from them.

Guests have included figures from across mycology, psychedelic research, mushroom cultivation, history, ethnobotany, and the broader fungal community.

 

Why InoculateTheWorld?

We recognize that you have many choices when it comes to deciding where you source your genetics from. We’ve never believed that our job is simply to have the biggest possible catalog. Instead, we focus on the things that originally made us fascinated with this field: Unique and rare genetics. Proper documentation. Preservation. Research. A genuine curiosity about fungi. In addition to these things, we pride ourselves on our fast shipping times, real human-backed customer support, and of course, our library of mushroom genetics.

We’re proud of what InoculateTheWorld has become, but we’re even more excited about how much remains to be discovered.

Frequently Asked Questions About InoculateTheWorld

Looking for more? Visit our FAQ page for answers to additional frequently asked questions.

What is InoculateTheWorld?

InoculateTheWorld is a family-owned mushroom genetics and microscopy company established in 2016. We provide mushroom spores and related materials intended for legal microscopy, taxonomy, and research.

Is InoculateTheWorld the same company as InnoculateTheWest?

Yes. InoculateTheWorld was originally known as InnoculateTheWest. As the company grew beyond its original regional identity, the name evolved into InoculateTheWorld.

What does InoculateTheWorld sell?

InoculateTheWorld specializes in mushroom spores and genetics for microscopy and research, including products such as spore syringes, spore prints, and spore swabs.

InoculateTheWorld does not sell psychedelic mushrooms.

Are InoculateTheWorld spores intended for cultivation?

No. Products involving applicable Psilocybe species are sold strictly for legal microscopy, taxonomy, and educational research purposes. Cultivation laws vary by jurisdiction, and customers are responsible for following applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Does InoculateTheWorld genetically sequence mushroom spores?

InoculateTheWorld has participated in both private and public genome-sequencing projects. More than 50% of the microscopy spores available through our site have received full-genome DNA sequencing. Sequencing helps us document genetics, validate samples within our library, and contribute data to the broader understanding of mushroom genetics.

Where is InoculateTheWorld based?

InoculateTheWorld is based in Washington State and Oregon and serves customers throughout eligible areas of the United States and applicable countries.

How can I contact InoculateTheWorld?

Questions about products, orders, microscopy, or InoculateTheWorld can be sent through our Contact page or directly to [email protected].

 

Legality Notice

InoculateTheWorld does not sell psychedelic mushrooms. Applicable spores are intended for legal microscopy, taxonomy, and educational research purposes only.

Images and information regarding cultivated specimens are provided for educational purposes and may originate from cultivators outside the United States. Cultivation of Psilocybe species may be prohibited by applicable law. Customers are responsible for understanding and complying with the laws of their jurisdiction.