Mushroom Spores
Welcome to InoculateTheWorld, Your Trusted Mushroom Spore Provider
Mushroom spores, so tiny yet so full of life! Here at InoculateTheWorld, we’re fascinated with the microscopic world of spores, which is why we host the largest collection of mushroom spore genetics on the web. Since 2016, we’ve been scouring the globe for unique and rare spores, following their stories to the deepest, damp forests, mountainous, muddy cow fields, and windy sandy dunes.
So far we’ve collected over 50 strains of Psilocybe cubensis spores, like Albino Penis Envy, Enigma, and Stargazer, dozens of other wild species of magic mushrooms spores, including Psilocybe cyanescens Psilocybe semilanceata and multiple strains of Panaeolus, as well as gourmet and medicinal mushroom spores and liquid cultures, like Cordyceps, Pink Oysters, and Shiitake.
What are Mushroom Spores Exactly?
Mushroom spores are fungi’s reproductive organs. They can be thought of as similar to seeds, and their name even comes from the Greek word sporā, which means seed, but in reality they are much different. Mushroom spores are microscopic single celled organisms that mushrooms produce and then disperse, which is why they’re so fascinating for microscopy research. Plant seeds, on the other hand, are typically visible to the naked eye. Plus, plant seeds contain all the genetic information needed to grow an entirely new plant. While dust-like mushroom spores only contain half the necessary material to birth a new shroom.
It’s when two spores from the same type of mushroom meet that the magic of reproduction happens. Imagine this: it’s a warm summer night, the stars are twinkling above, and you’re a spore—one of a billion released by your parent fruiting body—that’s been blown far from home on a gentle summer breeze. You land on just the right conditions you need to survive: sweet decaying leaves on the forest floor. Jackpot. You start sending your hyphae out in search of food, and maybe with a little luck, a mate.
The moon glows down and your hyphae happens upon the hyphae of another spore of the same type of mushroom. It’s love at first sight. You embrace, intertwining yourselves, and eventually fusing into one complete fungus. First, as mycelium, and eventually into a fruiting body, ready to spread your spores of the next generation far and wide.
It’s this fascinating and beautiful process that makes mushroom spores so special, and why we’ve dedicated our working lives to spreading the mycelial network far and wide with so many different varieties of spores.
History and Evolution of Mushroom Spores
Mushroom spores are endlessly fascinating, which is why scientists (and citizen scientists, like us) are constantly studying them. Part of their intrigue is their individuality: they vary in shape and size depending on the species, but they’re generally all non-motile (meaning they can’t move on their own).
Spores are single-celled organisms with a solid cell wall, and even though their function is similar to seeds, they’re theorized to be at least 150 million years older. Their cell wall is unique, consisting of a complex structure of polysaccharides, including glucan, chitin and glycoproteins. That makes it tough, able to survive extreme conditions like UV radiation, excessive heat, cold, salt and even low or high pH levels. In fact, the cell walls of mushroom spores are so unique they’re still rather mysterious to scientists, leaving lots to still be learned via microscopy research, and thus, part of our obsession.
Where are Mushroom Spores Located?
Mushrooms are made up of so much more than caps and stems. In fact, those are just the fruiting bodies of many species of fungi—and there’s many fascinating and fantastical variations. Then of course, there’s the mushroom’s mycelium, the vast underground web-like system that collects food and nutrients for the whole of the fungus, and communicates with other mushroom and plants life through its network.
Which brings us to our favorite part, mushroom spores, who’s main function is to spread to new locations in search of food and a mate—ensuring the mushroom’s survival while also possibly creating new strains. These are born from spore producing structures of the fruiting body called sporiferous hyphae, and their structure also varies from species to species. On a species with a mushroom cap, like a typical Psilocybe cubensis or the famous Amanita muscaria, the spore producing structures are the gills on the cap’s underside. Many of the world’s most popular and well-known mushrooms have gills, and you can think of the mushroom cap as the umbrella or shell that protects these delicate yet vital reproductive organs.
Of course, not all fruiting bodies have caps and stems. In mushrooms like Lion’s Mane, the spore-producing organs are teeth or needles. And in those with caps but a spongy underbelly, spores come from pores, released when the time is right. Exotic looking mushrooms like chanterelles, morels and puffballs even have their own unique ways to produce and spread spores.
How are mushroom spores spread?
Part of the beauty of mushroom spores is how they’re dispersed. Most often, they’re released into the air for something to carry them—wind, water, animals, even insects are great contenders. With a little luck, these flecks of dust in the wind will be blown toward a favorable habitat: decaying matter with the right temperature, humidity and UV levels, and other factors that play a major role in their chance of survival.
If conditions aren’t right, many mushroom spores can remain dormant and wait, sending out their thread-like hyphae when the mood is right and hopefully starting the whole process of reproduction all over again.
Different Forms of Mushroom Spores
Deciding which form of mushroom spore is right for you will depend on what kind of research you plan to do. There are many different applications for spores, even psilocybin mushroom spores, which is why we carry such a large variety to choose from.
Mushroom Spore Syringe
Mushroom spore syringes are syringes filled with thousands of mushroom spores floating in a sterile aqueous solution. Our spore syringes are made by scraping mushroom spores from a spore print into a sterile aqueous solution, commonly distilled water. The liquid solution is then mixed thoroughly to ensure an even distribution of spores throughout the distilled water.
Then, mushroom spore syringes are filled with the spore solution and caped off until they are ready to be used. InoculateTheWorld spore syringes are supplied in 12cc luer-lok sterile syringes with a removable sterile tip cap and a 1.5 inch 16 gauge needle. Our whole process is done in a sterile environment in front of a Laminar Flow Hood, and you can learn more about it in our article, Spores: A How-To Guide.
Isolated Spore Syringe
Isolated Spore Syringes are stabilized mushroom genetics, optimized to be completely sterile and to provide the most robust mushroom genetics for your microscopy research. ‘Isolated spore syringe’ is a coin termed by InoculateTheWorld’s founder to describe our most stable strains.
Sometimes known as “Isolates” or simply “ISOs,” these curated varieties offer the most consistency for your research. Isolated Spore Syringe genetics are extremely fast, hardy and resilient—that’s why they are one of our most popular magic mushroom spore products here at ITW!
Spore Print
Remember when we explained how spores are dispersed—by dropping from the gills, pores or teeth of a fruiting body? Well, Spore Prints are created when you collect those spores in mass. For a gilled, cap and stem mushroom like most strains of cubensis, spore prints are created by cutting a mature mushroom cap from its stem, and placing it on a surface (here at ITW, we use sterile aluminum foil).
If you wait anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours, that mushroom cap will release thousands of spores onto your surface, creating a spore print. Spore prints are super useful in identification of wild mushrooms because their color and other attributes can help distinguish from otherwise similar mushrooms.
Spore prints are also useful for microscopy and laboratory research. For microscopic viewing, simply use a tool to transfer the spores to a glass slide where they can be easily viewed under a microscope. Because spore prints are taken directly from mushroom caps, their size can vary, but they are all very useful to citizen scientists and mycologists alike.
Spore Swab
Some mushrooms do not produce a ton of spores, and with these strains and species collecting a spore print can be nearly impossible. That’s where Spore Swabs come in. Spore swabs are created by running a cotton swab on the upside of a mushroom’s gills, thus collecting some spores in the process. These spore swabs can then be used for microscopy and other types of laboratory research. Here at ITW, our spore swabs are created using medical-grade cotton tipped applicators to ensure their sterility and vigor.
How to Store Mushroom Spores
Once you get your mushroom spores, it is recommended to keep them sealed in their original packaging until you are ready to use them. Since InoculateTheWorld spores are packaged in a sterile environment, leaving the packaging closed until they are ready to be used is a good way to ensure the spores stay contamination free.
Then, the most important thing to remember is to keep mushroom spore syringes, prints, isolated syringes and other spore products in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. To get the longest lifespan out of your spore syringes, seal them in a clean airtight container, like a vacuum sealed bag, mason jar, or airtight kitchen container to protect them from oxygen, moisture, and contamination.
If you’re planning on storing spores for a while, you may also want to place a desiccant packet in the container to ensure moisture levels stay low. You could also choose to refrigerate your spore syringes, isolated syringes and liquid cultures if you’ll be storing them for a while, but keep temps between 36-46°F (2-8°C), and never freeze them.
If stored correctly, spore syringes can last for years. Liquid cultures and isolated syringes, on the other hand, should be used within 6 months of purchase to ensure they are as fresh and healthy as possible. With that said, we have seen properly stored isolated syringes still viable after 2 years. Read more about mushroom spore storage in our blog!
Why choose ITW mushroom spores?
Not only do we have the largest collection of psilocybin mushroom spores on the web, but we’re also a thoughtful, passionate family company, run by mushroom enthusiasts who want to spread mycelial knowledge throughout the planet. Or, in other words: Inoculate The World! Mushrooms have changed our lives for the better, and it gives us joy to wake up every morning and work on a project that brings them into the households of so many people across the US and beyond. Learn more about the creative, intentional people behind InoculateTheWorld on our Meet the Team page!
What also sets us apart is our commitment to quality control and customer support. We have a very rigorous QC process for all our mushroom spore products to ensure they never arrive on our customer’s doorsteps in less than optimal conditions. You can read all about it in our article: How Our Products Are Made.
We also don’t put anything on the site without knowing exactly where it came from. That means for all our Psilocybe cubensis mushroom spore strains, we can trace exactly where the original mushroom was foraged, and then who domesticated it and brought it to market. We even forage many of the new landrace strains and wild specimens ourselves, using our decades of training and experience.
Plus, we also know the importance of top-notch customer support, and work around the clock to always answer any question, issue or concern our customers might have. We are dedicated to providing a seamless checkout experience with fast and discreet shipping, so our community can feel secure with their purchase. Because we know choosing to investigate mushroom spores is a big and meaningful endeavor, we strive to put it within reach of anyone who’s curious.
Are Psilocybin Mushroom Spores Legal?
Yes! Because magic mushroom spores don’t contain any psilocybin—the active chemical compound that is a Schedule 1 substance in the United States—spore syringes are totally legal to possess, sell and use for microscopy and other research purposes. The DEA even recently made this clear in a January 2024 letter stating: “If the mushroom spores (or any other material) do not contain psilocybin or psilocin (or any other controlled substance or listed chemical), the material is considered not controlled [by the DEA].”
MORE ON MUSHROOM SPORES
If you’re interested in continuing your education on mushroom spores, check out our blog! We’re constantly coming up with new articles to educate our community on the fascinating world of mushrooms and their spores:
We also have an educational newsletter on all things mushroom spores! Sign up today for new releases, big discounts and a whole world of sporacious education. Don’t worry, we only send them out about once a week and we’ll never spam you with useless content.
DISCLAIMER: Spores are intended for legal microscopy and taxonomy purposes only. Pictures and information are for educational purposes, and originate from cultivators outside of the US. InoculateTheWorld.com does not sell mushrooms, we strictly sell mushroom spores. Cultivation of these species is illegal in many countries including the US, please follow all local laws and regulations.