A guide to mycelium

From breaking down dead organic matter to cycling nutrients back into and between ecosystems, fungi are important to life on many levels, and mycelium is the powerhouse behind it.

What is mycelium?

Mycelium is the interwoven, filamentous root structure of fungi that produces mushrooms: the visible, fruiting body of a fungus. It’s made up of a collection of fungal threads called hyphae that secrete enzymes that break down substrates (organic or artificial food sources) and reabsorb the nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Mycelium maintains the ecological balance beneath the ground by creating a network with plant roots that facilitate nutrient transfer from soil into the roots while receiving and storing carbon.

Technology_meets_sustainable_design

Technology meets sustainable design

Mycelium has the unique capability of being used for many purposes and widely applied to different areas, creating robust, sustainable and often superior alternatives to conventional products and processes that are rapidly destroying the environment and harmful to human health. Harnessing mycelium as a technology solves many problems at once. and its low cost and environmentally friendly features make it attractive for both researchers and commercial ventures.

Multi-functional fungi

Mycelium’s dynamic response to different environments means its growth can be directed and adjusted to achieve different outcomes. By harnessing mycelium as a technology, myco products and processes can be used to create scalable solutions in a greener way.

Materials from biological and alternative resources

Mycelium technology is revolutionising the way we manufacture, build, consume and live. Manufacturing mycelium materials uses a natural process that takes little water, energy or space and removes CO2 from the air while reducing our reliance on fuel-based products. Its transformative nature means it turns waste into a resource and makes it applicable to a variety of uses in different industries with low environmental impact, including:

  • Agriculture
  • Food
  • Textiles
  • Construction
  • Mining
  • Healthcare
  • Packaging and manufacturing

Promoting a circular economy

Mycelium technology provides us with a tool to move away from a linear economy where natural resources are used to create and consume, and then thrown away, to a cycle where waste is used as a resource, closing the loop by eliminating waste, using and consuming products derived from waste, and regenerating nature by returning nutrients to the ecosystem and limiting our dependence on natural resources. Ultimately, gives us the power to create economic prosperity in a way that’s beneficial to the environment.

Benefits of mycelium

Composite material can be customised to make everything from bricks to packaging

Turns waste into a resource where all parts can be used and reused

Can be grown on a variety of substrates under different conditions for specific purposes