One day, humans may live in homes suitable for gnomes.
Researchers at the University of Newcastle in the UK are using networks of fungi, called mycelium, to build structures. The goal is to create lighter buildings, reduce our reliance on concrete, and reduce negative impact on the environment.
Mycelium is the part of the fungus that tangles with tree roots underground. According to the National Forest Foundation, it is part of a network of plants that transfer water and nutrients to each other and even allows trees to “communicate.”
Mushrooms are the fairy-tale home of garden gnomes, a by-product of growing above ground.
Researchers are harnessing the organism’s growth properties to create fungal concrete, an ingenious paste that dries “stronger and more versatile” than other fungal biomaterials.
Dr Jane Scott from Newcastle University said in a university report: “Our aim is to use mycelium in combination with bio-based materials such as wool, sawdust and cellulose to transform the look, feel and health of built spaces.”
This process is entirely a biological experiment. Scientists mix mycelium spores with materials (including grains) that the spores can engulf and grow on.
Place this mixture into the mold and place it in a room that might be similar to your current basement—warm, dark, and damp. According to the Newcastle study, the mycelium grows and dries, forming a building material that can become a cleaner filler for foam, wood or plastic.
In this innovation, experts improved the process by using flexible tubular knitting molds suspended from a frame. This allows more oxygen to enter, helping to form what experts call bacterial clumps, CleanTechnica reports.
The team demonstrated the concept with a unique construction called BioKnit, which was strength tested and performed better than past samples. It is a “complex free-standing dome, constructed from one unit without [joints] Newcastle experts say this can be a weakness due to the flexible knitted form.
It looks a bit like a birdcage. A college photo shows two people sitting inside.
If the fungus proves versatile enough to even replace concrete in parts of our buildings, the results could have an impact. Princeton University reports that, excluding water, concrete is the “most consumed” product on earth. According to Princeton University, the concrete industry causes 4.4 billion tons of air pollution each year.
Before it becomes mainstream, experts must create the right mycelium mixture for buildings.
In a university presentation, Scott said this was “a significant result and a step towards the use of mycelium and textile biohybrid materials in architecture”.
