Lyophilization is an excellent technique for the long-term preservation of hyphal-forming brown- and white-rot wood-inhabiting basidiomycotina. However, vegetative mycelial isolates are not lyophilizable. In this study, 10 brown-rot and 10 white-rot basidiomycetous non-sporulating, non-chlamydosporulating, and non-bubillerferous basidiomycetes fungi were tested for viability after lyophilization. Optimization of the lyophilization involved (i) using mycelium agar plugs and mycelial fragments, (ii) improving physiological growth conditions, age of cultures, and growth medium components, (iii) adding to and adjusting the cold hardening period, initial-freezing rates, and dehydration and rehydration, and (iv) standardizing lyoprotectant type and concentration. All fungal growth on solid agar medium or in broth survived lyophilization. No noticeable changes in viability or morphological and biochemical characteristics occurred. Some mycelial isolates exhibited heavy filamentous mycelial growth and/or grew faster after lyophilization.

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