Fungal networks (called mycelium) are being used to create structures by researchers at New Castle University in the United Kingdom. The goal is to produce lighter-weight structures, reducing our reliance on concrete and lowering our environmental impact. Humans may one day live in gnome-sized houses.
Mycelium, which is a fungus’s small string, intertwines underground with tree roots. According to the National Forest Foundation, it is part of a network of plants that transport water and nutrients to one another, allowing trees to “communicate.”
Mushrooms, the fabled habitat of garden gnomes, are a surface consequence.
Researchers are now using the organism’s growing capabilities to develop mycocrete, a clever paste that, when dried, is “stronger and more versatile” than previous fungus biomaterials.
“Our ambition is to transform the look, feel, and well-being of architectural spaces using mycelium in combination with biobased materials such as wool, sawdust, and cellulose,” Newcastle’s Dr. Jane Scott said in a university report.
Innovative Mycelium building process
The procedure resembles a biology experiment. Scientists combine mycelium spores with elements that mycelium spores may consume and thrive on, such as grains.
This combination is placed in a mold and placed in a room that is similar to your basement right now – warm, dark, and humid. According to a Newcastle study, the mycelium forms and is dried, resulting in a building material that could be a more environmentally friendly substitute for foam, wood, or plastic.
Experts have refined the technique in the latest innovation by utilizing flexible, tube-shaped knitted molds that are hung from a frame. This allows more oxygen to enter, assisting in the formation of what specialists refer to as mycocrete, according to CleanTechnica.
The team demonstrated the concept using a one-of-a-kind build named BioKnit, which was tested for strength and outperformed past samples. It’s a “complex freestanding dome constructed in a single piece without [joints] that could prove to be weak points, thanks to the flexible knitted form,” according to Newcastle experts.
It’s “a significant result”
If this fungus can be made adaptable enough to replace concrete in even a small percentage of our buildings, the implications might be significant. According to Princeton University, concrete is the “most consumed” product on the planet, excluding water. According to Princeton, the concrete sector contributes 4.4 billion tons of air pollution each year.
Before mycelium may be used in buildings, scientists must develop the proper mycelium mix.
It’s “a significant result, and a step toward the use of mycelium and textile biohybrids within construction,” Scott wrote in the university paper.