Living Mycelium Textile Can Renew, Repair And Biodegrade

Researchers at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) have developed a flexible textile from living fungal mycelium. Unlike conventional mycelium materials, which are normally rendered biologically inactive during processing, the new engineered living material retains dormant cells that can be reactivated to renew or repair its surface.

From Fungal Pellets To Flexible Sheets

The researchers cultivated Cordyceps militaris in a liquid medium, producing spherical pellets of intertwined fungal filaments. Once collected and placed in moulds, these pellets naturally bonded during mild drying at 45°C. This created self-supporting sheets without additional scaffolds or adhesives.

Treating the material with glycerol reduced brittleness, allowing the sheets to be folded, cut and sewn. In mechanical tests, a rope twisted from four narrow strips supported a weight of one kilogram.

Programmable Biological Functions

The mycelium sheet acts as a base platform to which other organisms can add specific properties. Co-cultivation with brewer’s yeast can introduce pigmentation, while melanin-rich aerial filaments from Aspergillus niger provide ultraviolet protection. Nutrient-induced surface growth can also form patterns and create hydrophobic, self-cleaning surfaces.

After drying, the mycelium enters a low-metabolic, dormant-like state rather than dying completely. Applying a nutrient solution made from potato water can reactivate fungal growth. When combined with a fresh mycelium patch, this process allows the material to grow across a hole and repair damage without stitching or adhesives.

The textile almost completely degraded after just over 40 days in soil-composting tests, highlighting its potential for products with a defined lifespan.

Applications Beyond Fashion

Material innovation company Peelsphere used different versions of the textile to create a prototype dress, including self-pigmented blue sections. The demonstrator shows how the material can be assembled into larger, wearable structures.

Potential applications include conceptual fashion, accessories, decorative interior surfaces, exhibition installations and biodegradable packaging. Its ability to form three-dimensional structures could eventually also support adaptive architectural biomaterials.

However, further development is required before routine use. Current challenges include manufacturing consistency, washability, abrasion resistance, moisture protection, safety and reliable control of biological activation. The research nevertheless demonstrates how living organisms could enable materials that combine biodegradability with repair, responsiveness and programmable functionality.

Source: Dezeen / Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT)
Photos: Ke Li