A growing number of firms are turning fungi roots into clothing and building material.
There’s no doubt mushrooms are having a moment.
From the popular Netflix documentary Fantastic Fungi, to the surge of medical trials exploring the use of a compound found in hallucinogenic species as a treatment for depression, a mushroom boom is alive and kicking.
But there’s one part of fungi that businesses are now especially tapping into, and that’s mycelium, the root structure of a mushroom.
London-based biomanufacturing company Biohm grows mycelium on a large scale by feeding it the likes of food waste and sawdust to create construction industry products such as insulation panels. These can then be used as an alternative to the prevalent plastic ones.
« We are focused on solving global challenges, and one of the largest in terms of impact on the planet and ecosystem is the construction industry, » explains Oksana Bondar, director of design at Biohm.
« We looked deeper into waste streams, and types of materials, and the fabric of buildings, and one of the largest commodities is insulation. The idea was to tackle one of the challenges with a natural solution. »
Once the mycelium has grown over a number of weeks, Biohm harvests and dries it, and then compresses it into brick-like panels.
« What’s beautiful about this product is that the panels can be remanufactured, it can be broken down into feed stock, it’s safe to be composted, it’s pH neutral and 100% natural. It can fertilise soil, » says Ms Bondar.
A spokeswoman for Biohm said the company was « currently negotiating… with major multinationals » to take its products to global markets. « Expect to see their mycelium thermal insulation being installed in homes, offices, and public spaces in the UK and Europe within the next couple of years. »
In San Francisco, a company called MycoWorks is growing mycelium to produce a leather substitute called « Reishi ». Using this material it is now making everything from hats to wallets, handbags and bowls.
« Mycelium-grown Reishi is an incredible material, and the first of its kind [leather replacement] that doesn’t use plastic as a core ingredient, » says Sophia Wang, MycoWorks co-founder.
« It is grown using three organic materials – water, sawdust and mycelium, which keeps carbon emissions low.
