Uncovering the Design Rules for Sustainable Growth of Mineralized Mycomaterials.
Moss DH, Pear O, Guío J, Libonati A, Ducat D
Summary
6.2/10Researchers developed stronger, more affordable bio-based materials using engineered fungi by adding minerals to fungal networks and mimicking lichen growth patterns. This could enable cost-effective, sustainable alternatives to traditional materials with built-in self-healing abilities.
Key Findings
Mineralization enhances mechanical strength of fungal-based mycomaterials
Surface display of silicatein α enzyme from sea sponges on fungal hyphae enables mineral incorporation
Synthetic lichen-based growth model reduces production costs while maintaining performance
Original Abstract
Mycomaterials, materials made from filamentous fungi, have several advantages over traditional materials such as their genetic programmability and self-healing properties. However, their lack of mechanical strength and cost of production often constrain the applications in which they can be used in. In this work, we take inspiration from natural systems to overcome these challenges by elucidating design principles for mineralization-based enhancement of mechanical strength and synthetic lichen-based low-cost growth. We demonstrate that surface display of an enzyme from sea sponges, silicatein α, on the hyphae of the filamentous fungus