Living Textures and Mycelium Skin Co-Creation: Designing Colour, Pattern, and Performance for Bio-Aesthetic Expression in Mycelium-Bound Composites

Author: mycolabadmin
8/29/2025
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Summary

Researchers discovered that mushroom mycelium can naturally change color and texture in response to different environmental conditions, making it possible to design beautiful, sustainable building materials without chemical treatments. By controlling moisture and oxygen exposure during growth, scientists can create specific patterns and colors ranging from white to brown on mycelium composite surfaces. This breakthrough suggests that fungal-based materials could become more visually appealing and widely accepted for use in architecture and construction, supporting both environmental sustainability and public acceptance of bio-based building products.

Background

Mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) offer sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials, but their public acceptance is limited due to aesthetic concerns and mycophobia. Natural fungal materials can produce pigments including carotenoids, melanins, and polyketides, yet methods to control mycelium surface coloration for design applications remain unexplored. This research investigates how controlled environmental stimuli can induce aesthetic expression in living mycelium materials.

Objective

To explore the co-creation potential between design and mycelium organisms by investigating how external treatments and environmental conditions influence surface color, pattern, and texture development in mycelium-bound composites derived from Ganoderma Steyaertanum. The study aims to develop scalable, sustainable methods for designing bio-aesthetic qualities through controlled interaction with living materials.

Results

Both approaches successfully induced measurable mycelium skin pigmentation changes. Approach 1 produced highly consistent color gradients from white to dark brown with clear spatial control, following a predictable sequence based on exposure duration. Approach 2 induced darker pigmentation through moisture retention but with less consistency. SEM and FTIR analyses revealed correlations between surface color variations and microstructural/chemical composition changes. Results demonstrate mycelium’s capacity for autonomous aesthetic adaptation under controlled conditions.

Conclusion

Mycelium-bound composites can be co-designed with living organisms to produce controllable, scalable surface aesthetics through mechanical (non-chemical) treatments that manipulate oxygen and moisture exposure. These findings advance bio-aesthetic design practices and establish methodologies for integrating biological responsiveness into architectural materials, supporting sustainable building applications and enhanced public acceptance of fungal-based composites.

Published in:Biomimetics (Basel),
Study Type:Experimental Design Study,
Source: PMID: 41002807, PMCID: PMC12467857, DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics10090573