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Anisotropic Growth of Filamentous Fungi in Wood Hydrogel Composites Increases Mechanical Properties

Summary

Researchers developed new composite materials by growing fungi on specially treated wood. The fungi naturally grow along the wood’s fiber direction, creating stronger, more organized structures than they would in regular gelatin. By adjusting the wood type and nutrient levels, scientists could precisely control the mechanical strength of these eco-friendly materials, which could eventually be used in building products and packaging.

Background

Engineered living materials (ELMs) combining living cells with matrices are gaining interest for sustainable applications. Delignified wood preserves fiber directionality and provides an ideal scaffold for fungal growth, enabling anisotropic mycelial development that can enhance mechanical properties of composite materials.

Objective

To investigate whether anisotropic fungal growth in delignified wood hydrogel composites enhances mechanical properties compared to isotropic growth, and to determine how wood type, nutrient concentration, and fungal species affect composite strength.

Results

Tensile strength and Young’s modulus increased from ~10¹ kPa and 10⁻³ GPa to nearly 10³ kPa and 10⁻¹ GPa respectively after fungal proliferation. A. oryzae produced higher mechanical strength than R. oligosporus. Lower wood density promoted greater fungal growth, and increasing agar and glucose concentrations significantly enhanced tensile properties.

Conclusion

Delignified wood serves as an excellent scaffold for anisotropic fungal growth, with mechanical properties tunable through selection of wood type, fungal species, and nutrient concentrations. These composites demonstrate potential as sustainable engineered living materials for applications in building and packaging.
  • Published in:ACS Applied Bio Materials,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.1021/acsabm.5c00374, PMID: 40476829
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