In Argentina, an installation made of fungi aims to raise awareness of the potential for mycelium in design. Created by Julio Oropel and Jose Luis Zacarias Otiñano, the project includes structures that form a gathering area. Several fungi species are included in the design. Named Fungi Kingdom – Urban Farm, the installation is located at […]
In Israel, startup MadeRight has raised $2 million in seed funding to drive biodegradable packaging made from fungi. Founded in 2022, MadeRight is using fermentation to cultivate fungi grown on organic industrial waste such as wood chips to produce biodegradable packaging materials. When mixed with bioplastics, the material can be pelletized and used within existing […]
In Pennsylvania, a mushroom farm exec’s personal loss has inspired a new offering in environmentally friendly burials: biodegradable, fungi caskets. Max Justice, chairman of Greencastle’s Setas Mushrooms told local news Fox43 the idea came while he was sadly making funeral arrangements for his younger sister. Justice said he was troubled by cremation’s large environmental footprint […]
In Australia, RMIT scientists have shown it’s possible to grow fungi in thin sheets that could be used for fire-retardant cladding or even a new kind of fungal fashion. The novel method of creating mycelium sheets that are paper-thin, like wallpaper, works without pulverising the mycelium’s filament network. Instead, they used different growth conditions and […]
In the UK, scientists hoping to reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry have developed a way to grow building materials using knitted molds and the root network of fungi. Dubbed mycocrete, the team at Newcastle University created a composite using the knitted molds as a flexible framework. The material is stronger and more […]
In Emeryville, California, Bolt Threads has ceased production of its leather alternative Mylo after running out of funds. The news, conveyed by Bolt Threads’ CEO Dan Widmaier to Vogue Business, comes despite the company attracting keen interest from major brands like Stella McCartney, Kering and Adidas. According to Widmaier, funding for Mylo was “devastatingly close” […]
In New York, mycelium materials company Ecovative Design has raised $30 million in a Series E financing. Half of the funds will be used by its plant-based foods subsidiary, MyForest Foods Co., and the other half will support Ecovative’s plans to scale its Forager business into a world-class supplier of sustainable textile and foam products. […]
In Tennessee, nonfood, plant-based biofuels have potential as a green alternative to fossil fuels, but the enzymes required for production are too inefficient and costly to produce. However, new research is shining a light on enzymes from fungi that could make biofuels economically viable. Enzymes called lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, or LPMOs, excel at breaking down organic matter, […]
In California, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. In this case, the “job” is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature woodiness. One of the most abundant terrestrial polymers on Earth, lignin surrounds valuable plant fibers and other molecules that could be converted […]
In London, designer Helena Elston has debuted a collection of clothing made from mycelium and waste, including discard textiles and coffee sacks. Dubbed FI, or Fungal Integrated, the line includes a dress, suite, boots, and jacket. The waste products are integrated into the mycelium as it grows over a six-week period. “The growing environments are […]
