Second Hand Vitamin D? The Effect of UV Light on Vitamin D Production in Mushrooms.
CWSF · 2026 Agriculture, Fisheries & Food
Overview
This project explores how different levels of UV (ultraviolet) light affect a mushroom's ability to produce Vitamin D. To test this, identical groups of mushrooms were grown in the exact same environment, with the only difference being the amount of UV light they received. After growing for a set period, the harvested mushrooms had their vitamin levels measured using a device called a refractometer, which measures nutrient density. Each group was tested six times to ensure accuracy. The results showed that mushrooms exposed to more UV light were significantly higher in nutrient density. This project demonstrates that simply leaving mushrooms in normal sunlight might not be enough to generate high levels of Vitamin D, highlighting how interesting the ways fungi respond to their environment can be.
Awards (1)
- Selected for CWSF 2026
Competition history
- CWSF 2026
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