Advanced Materials from Fungal Mycelium: Fabrication and Tuning of Physical Properties

Author: mycolabadmin
2017-01-24
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Summary

This research demonstrates how fungal mycelium can be grown into sustainable materials with properties that can be controlled by changing what the fungi feed on. These materials could potentially replace petroleum-based plastics in many applications. Impacts on everyday life: – Provides new sustainable alternatives to plastic products – Offers biodegradable packaging materials that are water-resistant – Creates new possibilities for eco-friendly building and insulation materials – Reduces dependence on petroleum-based products – Demonstrates potential for growing rather than manufacturing materials

Background

Materials chemistry and nanotechnology have shown great capabilities in developing novel materials, but cannot replicate the unique reproductive abilities of biological organisms. There is increasing need for sustainable, green materials to replace polluting synthetic plastics. Current bio-based materials often require complex processing methods that are costly and low-yield. Mycelium, the vegetative part of fungi, offers potential for developing tunable composite biomaterials that grow naturally without sophisticated processing.

Objective

To develop and characterize self-growing fibrous composite materials from fungal mycelium with controlled physical properties. The study aimed to demonstrate that mycelium material properties can be tuned by choosing different nutrient substrates during growth.

Results

The mycelium materials showed tunable properties depending on their feeding substrate. Materials grown on cellulose contained more chitin and showed higher Young’s modulus and lower elongation compared to those grown on dextrose-containing substrates. All materials were hydrophobic with water contact angles above 120°. The materials showed good thermal stability with degradation temperatures around 300°C. Chemical composition and mechanical properties could be controlled by varying the nutrient substrate.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated successful fabrication of tunable mycelium-based fibrous materials that can serve as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. The materials’ properties can be controlled through choice of feeding substrate, with minimal energy required for production. The developed materials show promise for various applications due to their hydrophobic nature and thermal stability.

Published in:Scientific Reports,
Study Type:Experimental Research,
Source: 10.1038/srep41292