Slime Mold Physarum polycephalum Day Walker
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Description
"Le Blob" Physarum polycephalum — 'Day Walker' Strain
We present Physarum polycephalum, known worldwide as "Le Blob" — the subject of dozens of scientific studies and even experiments on the International Space Station (ISS). It is a fascinating, single-celled slime mold that defies all classifications. It is not an animal, plant, or fungus (although sometimes mistakenly called a slime fungus), but belongs to the Amoebozoa supergroup. It is a giant, multinucleate single cell (coenocyte) displaying astonishing, "intelligent" behaviors despite having no nervous system.
The offered 'Day Walker' strain (also known as "x32") is a unique variety selected and used by researchers at the French Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) for massive educational projects. Its key and absolutely unique feature is its high tolerance to daylight.
Key Advantage: Why the 'Day Walker' Strain?
Standard, wild strains of Physarum are strongly photophobic – terrified of light. Exposing them to light (especially combined with hunger) triggers irreversible sporulation (the reproductive phase), which ends the active life of the organism. This forces breeding in complete darkness, such as in a closed cabinet.
'Day Walker' solves this problem. This extraordinary slime mold does not react to diffused daylight as a stress signal. Thanks to this:
- You can observe it constantly: It is ideal for placing on a desk, in a classroom, or in an observation terrarium.
- It is ideal for beginners: The greatest threat in "Blob" breeding is mold or bacterial contamination, which is easy to miss in the dark. The ability to constantly observe the 'Day Walker' strain allows you to immediately detect issues and react, making breeding much easier and more forgiving.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Physarum polycephalum 'Day Walker' (strain x32) |
| Strain origin | Derived from CNRS research strains (France) |
| Key feature | Daylight tolerance (does not sporulate easily) |
| Diet | Dry rolled oats. Our springtail food as an energy boost. |
| Temperature | Room temperature (ideally 20-25°C / 68-77°F) |
| Humidity | Very high (breeding on moist substrate) |
What exactly are you buying?
We ship the slime mold exclusively in its dormant, dried resting state – as a sclerotium (sclerotium). This is a 100% natural resting state that guarantees completely safe transport (total resistance to frost, heat, or shipping delays) and allows you to awaken the culture at any convenient time.
Important – surface area measurements:
The surface area selected at purchase (e.g. 1 cm², 5 cm², 20 cm²) is the surface area of the slime mold measured BEFORE drying. During the transition into the sclerotium state, the slime mold expels water and shrinks by a factor of ten, and sometimes dozens of times, taking the form of a dry, orange-yellow flake. After placing it on moist agar and adding water, within several to a dozen or so hours, the slime mold absorbs moisture, awakens, and regains the surface area you purchased.
Included in the kit:
- Physarum polycephalum 'Day Walker' sclerotium of the chosen surface area (measured before drying),
- A Petri dish with ready-poured agar – you do not need to boil or mix anything, the substrate is immediately prepared to awaken the slime mold,
- A starter portion of rolled oats, sufficient for a long period of feeding and establishing subsequent cultures.
Extraordinary Biology and "Intelligence" of the Slime Mold
Owning Physarum polycephalum is like having a living research subject. Scientific studies, largely conducted by the French CNRS, have proven that this extraordinary slime mold can:
- Solve problems: It can find the shortest path in a maze. In a famous experiment, it recreated Tokyo's optimized rail network using oat flakes as "cities." It operates on the principle of "embodied intelligence" – strengthening veins through which cytoplasm flows efficiently, while resorbing unused ones.
- Learn (Habituation): It can get "used to" harmless though unpleasant stimuli (e.g., salt or caffeine), learning to ignore them to reach food faster.
- Transfer "Knowledge": Most astonishingly, a "trained" slime mold can fuse with a "naive" individual and transfer its acquired knowledge. Just 3 hours of fusion is enough for the newly united organism to immediately "know" that salt is harmless.
Memory Mechanism (How does it work?)
CNRS research demonstrated that the Blob's "memory" is not abstract, but physical. The organism "learns" about salt by absorbing and storing it in its cytoplasm. When it fuses with a naive individual, this "knowledge" (i.e. the salt solution) literally flows through the newly formed veins, immediately "programming" the second individual.
Breeding and Awakening Step by Step
You receive a complete starter kit, making starting your culture child's play:
- Awakening (Start): Open the Petri dish with the prepared agar. Place the received sclerotium on the surface of the agar and add 1–2 drops of clean water directly onto it (or right next to it).
- Waking up: Close the dish. Within several to a dozen or so hours, the slime mold will absorb the water, revive, and transform into an active, creeping yellow plasmodium of the purchased surface area.
- Feeding: When the slime mold wakes up and begins extending yellow "veins", place 1–2 dry rolled oats (regular rolled oats, not instant) right next to its active edge (do not place flakes directly on top of it). Our springtail food can serve as an additional, quick energy "boost".
- Care and hygiene: Feed the slime mold regularly every 1–2 days. To prevent mold, every 7–10 days you can transfer a colonized oat flake or a small cutout of agar with slime mold onto a fresh, clean substrate.
Alternative Breeding Methods
1. Agar Substrate
This is the most aesthetic and recommended method. Mix 2g of agar (vegan gelatin) in 200ml of water. (Our tested ratio, works perfectly). Simply pour boiling water over the powder and stir for a few seconds until dissolved. Pour the hot liquid into clean dishes (e.g. Petri dishes) and wait for it to set (approx. 20-30 minutes).
2. Breeding on Paper
Instead of agar, "The Blob" can be successfully bred on moist paper (e.g. unscented toilet paper, tissues, or paper towels). This method is less aesthetic, but has its advantages: it is faster to prepare, requires no purchase of agar, and makes it much easier to dry the plasmodium later if you want to create your own sclerotium.
3. Bioactive Soil Breeding (Low Maintenance)
An interesting method is permanent breeding in a bioactive container. A container with a capacity of 1-2 liters, a few centimeters of soil at the bottom, and the addition of 1-2 springtail species is sufficient. Such a system appears to eliminate the need for constantly establishing new, sterile cultures and allows the slime mold to be kept permanently in the same container.
How to Store "The Blob" (Creating Your Own Sclerotium)
If you are going on vacation, you can easily put your "Blob" to sleep. Transfer an active piece onto a dry substrate (e.g. a paper towel), stop feeding and watering it, and then place it in a dark place. Within 2-3 days it will slowly dry out, forming a hard sclerotium. In this form, it can be stored for many months, ready for reactivation at any time (simply add a drop of water).
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