Mycelium can be your next handbag or lunch. Features of this biological structure are proving that it can be a game changer in various industries. So what exactly is mycelium and how can it be used?
Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus resembling a net, a root-like structure that allows the organism of the mushroom to absorb nutrients from the environment it grows on. It is a crucial part of the fungi kingdom, it grows in many places, from soil to wood, and is essential for the health of the planet. By breaking down and recycling organic matter, mycelium helps provide energy to other organisms and fungi.
Natural features of mycelium make it a perfect candidate for the green material of the future. It can be transformed into a wide range of products, from stylish handbags and eco-friendly packaging to durable construction materials like bricks. Mycelium holds the potential to revolutionize many industries by offering environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional materials without sacrificing features of the end product.
Packaging
Mycelium-based packaging is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional packing options like polystyrene, pulp or plastic lodgements, or cushioning materials. It’s lightweight, it’s durable, it’s perfect for cushioning and fully biodegradable, reducing landfill waste and reliance on fossil fuels. At S.Lab we use mycelium as a bonding material that acts like a glue for agricultural waste. It can grow into any desirable shape, that is why our packaging is so customizable.
Textile and Fashion
Alongside with natural materials like linen and cotton, the fashion industry heavily relies on petroleum-based fibers like acrylic, nylon and polyester. These materials are not sustainable at all — for example, a single laundry load of polyester clothes can discharge 700,000 microplastic fibers that can end up in the food chain. Mycelium is being used to develop sustainable textiles — such as leather and fabrics.
Mycelium leather provides an affordable, eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based products and a more sustainable, ethical option compared to animal leather. It can be cultivated using various agricultural and industrial organic waste. Mycelium leather is a newcomer in the material world, but provides a similar look and feel to the one of regular leather and has a potential to revolutionize the fashion and leather industries. It can be used in fashion for making shoes, bags, and other accessories, reducing the environmental impact of leather production. MycoWorks makes Reishi™, natural material that matches the performance of the animal leathers.
Fabrics made from mycelium are non-toxic, waterproof, and fire-resistant. It can be made as thin as paper for dresses and shirts or as thick as needed for heavy-duty items, while remaining impressively flexible and strong in both cases. Companies like Mylium use fungal growth to upcycle waste streams into biobased and plastic-free textiles.
Design
Bio-based materials are now seen as the future of design, and industry is quickly developing and adopting such natural alternatives, turning mycelium-based composites (MBCs) into products. Stools and lights with a suede-like texture, made by British furniture maker Sebastian Cox were presented in 2017, and now we have even more sustainable furniture and interior objects made from mycelium: wall tiles, space dividers, chairs, coffee tables and others.
Mycelium furniture is a good example of a circular economy because it’s made from natural, renewable materials that are fully biodegradable. Once the furniture reaches the end of its life, it can return to the earth without causing pollution, unlike synthetic materials. But as any other natural material it may be porous, with uneven surfaces and varied coloring, so this is a challenge producers may face.
Some companies and designers pioneering this space include Alea, Myceen, Olle Sahlqvist and others.
Construction
The potential of mycelium as a building material was demonstrated in 2014 with the construction of the “Hy-Fi” mushroom brick tower by the architectural team The Living. This innovative structure stood in the courtyard of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) space in Manhattan, New York, showcasing the possibilities of sustainable architecture.
Now mycelium is widely used to create sustainable building materials. Mycelium bricks, for example, are lightweight, strong, and provide good insulation. Usage of these materials significantly reduces reliance on fossil fuels, lowers the energy needed for production, and minimizes building waste. FRONT is producing The Mushroom WasteBasedBricks® that can be used for flooring, interior walls or facades.
Other uses of mycelium include a composite board (Myco-board), produced by Ecovative, that functions like MDF but without the harmful formaldehyde, a chemical known to cause respiratory issues when inhaled during cutting.
For thermal insulation in some countries polystyrene is still used as the main material, but it is flammable and reported to be toxic, whereas plant-based alternatives provide the same level of insulation and are fully safe for health and environment.
Mycelium-based materials are also used for soundproofing. Acoustic panels made of mycelium, like the ones produced by Mogu, and textile waste are designed to maximize the acoustic comfort in noisy spaces thanks to its sound-absorbing properties.
Coffins
Alternative burial methods are gaining popularity due to several factors. Traditional burials and cremations can have negative environmental impacts, such as the use of embalming chemicals, non-biodegradable materials, and high energy consumption. Space in cemeteries is becoming limited, especially in urban areas, and building caskets consumes large amounts of wood and metal. Also, there is growing openness toward discussing death, leading to a broader acceptance of alternatives to traditional burials.
People today seek more personalized and meaningful ways to honor their loved ones and options like mycelium coffins and urns are a solution. Loop Biotech creates mycelium-based Loop Living Cocoon™ — the world’s first living coffin that enriches nature by biodegrading in 45 days, and Loop EarthRise™ — an urn grown from mushrooms that can be enriched with plants’ seeds.
Farming
Mycelium can improve soil health and fertility. It enhances nutrient absorption for plants and helps decompose organic matter, contributing to a healthier and more productive soil ecosystem.
Mycelium can be used as a biofilter. By harnessing its natural filtering power, we can capture and break down nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from farm runoff before they pollute our water sources. MycoFarming, a Netherlands-based company develops technologies like mycofiltration that help turn harmful substances into rich, fertile biomass.
Food
Mycelium has a high level of protein, so in the food tech industry it is gaining popularity as an alternative to plant and cell-based proteins. Due to its meat-resembling texture it is most commonly used as a regular meat alternative. Through fermentation, especially biomass fermentation, mycelium can grow rapidly, doubling its weight in just a few hours, making it an efficient and scalable solution. Companies like Infinite Roots, Meati, Spanish Innomy are pioneering the industry of fungi-based meat substitutes.
MycoVeg is using mycelium together with fermented vegetables to create soft, semi-hard and fresh cheese alternatives. FreeFromThat has collaborated with AVEBE of the Netherlands to introduce Potato Protein+Plus, an egg replacement made from protein derived from organic potatoes and combined with mycelium.
Supplements
Mycelium and its applications hold potential to improve the wellbeing of both people and the planet, as they have been used for centuries for health reasons, being an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. Various companies study the impact of mushrooms on memory, energy, sleep, heart health, liver support, and even gut health. Though scientific research is still limited on their effectiveness, some people choose to include mushroom supplements in their daily routines. Most popular mushrooms include Reishi, Shiitake, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Psilocybin and others.
Medicine
Mycelium has medicinal properties and is used in the production of antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and other pharmaceuticals. Antibiotics have played a crucial role in helping humanity survive. Before their discovery, common infections like pneumonia, tuberculosis, and wound infections often led to death. Penicillin, derived from Penicillium strain, revolutionized medicine by providing an effective treatment for bacterial infections, reducing mortality rates, and enabling safer surgeries and medical procedures.
Mycelium shows promise in medicine as a drug delivery system due to its natural porosity, which can control drug release and potentially enhance medication safety and efficacy. By adjusting growth conditions and genetics, researchers can tailor drug release to meet specific needs, potentially reducing side effects, improving patient compliance, and lowering treatment costs.
Another usage is wound dressings. Recently, the mycelia of edible fungi Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus have been studied in vitro as self-growing biomaterials for tissue engineering. Their interconnected fibrous networks closely mimic the structure of dermal collagen, making them a promising option for this application. Other benefits of such materials include lower risks of skin irritation, compared to synthetic dressings, that may cause infections, natural mycelium ability to fight germs, and help wounds heal faster by keeping them moist.
The story of mycelium is a story of hope and transformation — it offers us a glimpse into a future where sustainability and innovation go hand in hand. With each new application discovery, mycelium reminds us that nature holds the solutions to many of our most pressing challenges, and that we should work with nature, not against it. Its seamless fit within the day-to-day activities of our lives shows us a future where waste becomes a resource, and innovation drives lasting environmental change.
Mycelium inspires us to rethink what’s possible.
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