State of the art, recent advances, and challenges in the field of fungal mycelium materials: a snapshot of the 2021 Mini Meeting

Noam Attias,Tiffany Abitbol,Achiya Livne

doi:10.1186/s40694-021-00118-3

Noam Attias, Tiffany Abitbol + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40694-021-00118-3

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Abstract

Material development based on fungal mycelium is a fast-rising field of study as researchers, industry, and society actively search for new sustainable materials to address contemporary material challenges. The compelling potential of fungal mycelium materials is currently being explored in relation to various applications, including construction, packaging, “meatless” meat, and leather-like textiles. Here, we highlight the discussions and outcomes from a recent 1-day conference on the topic of fungal mycelium materials (“Fungal Mycelium Materials Mini Meeting”), where a group of researchers from diverse academic disciplines met to discuss the current state of the art, their visions for the future of the material, and thoughts on the challenges surrounding widescale implementation.

Highlights

Fungi are essential organisms in natural ecosystems, playing a vital role as decomposers and maintaining symbiotic relationships with organisms from other kingdoms
New ways of engagement between humans and fungi are emerging, for instance in the development of structural materials based on the resilient network structure of fungal mycelium [2]
These materials can take the form of biocomposites comprised of a lignocellulose substrate bound into a cohesive structure by the hyphal mycelium network that forms the bulk surrounding matrix [3], or alternatively can be fully based on pure fungal mycelium [4–6]

Summary

Introduction

Fungi are essential organisms in natural ecosystems, playing a vital role as decomposers and maintaining symbiotic relationships with organisms from other kingdoms. The fungal mycelium materials research community is comprised of researchers from distinct academic disciplines, including, materials science, biotechnology, engineering, architecture, art, and design, each with their unique perspectives and approaches to materials design and development.

Results

Conclusion