Scientists Create Living Plastic Alternative
Using a beautiful, versatile mushroom, scientists have created a living plastic-like compound that uses the fungis' unique properties to mold into almost any form.
Using mushrooms, scientists have created a living, plastic-like compound that uses the fungi's unique properties to mold it into almost any form.
Researchers out of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, better known as Empa, have used the common split-gill mushroom to create what they're calling "living fiber dispersions" or LFD, a gel-like material that can be used as a plastic alternative in all manner of applications.
The new material's unique strength and versatility come courtesy of fibers from the split gill mushroom's mycelia, or root-like structures — a popular subcomponent used in everything from eco-friendly packaging and textiles to green building materials and nutrient-dense food.
In most modern applications, mycelial fibers are chemically treated and cleaned, which the team says in a press release results in a "trade-off between performance and sustainability."
Instead of treating the mycelial fibers, the Swiss researchers kept them whole and allowed them to grow an extracellular matrix, the "network of various fiber-like macromolecules, proteins and other biological substances" that gives fungi their structures and helps protect them from the outside world.
"The fungus uses this extracellular matrix to give itself structure and other functional properties," explained Empa researcher Ashutosh Sinha in the release. "Why shouldn't we do the same?"
After selecting a particularly sturdy and flexible strain of split-gill mushroom, the scientists whipped up their concoction in the lab and began experimenting with ways it could be used.
Along with drying it into thin, tear-resistant strips that can be used for sustainable shopping bags, the researchers also demonstrated that their new material could be used as an emulsifier, or mixer, for food or cosmetic products. Because the split-gill mushroom is edible, that means any products made with it would be safe to eat and apply to the skin.
Because this "living fiber dispersion" is still alive, the fungus at its base continues to emit the molecules that stabilize it, making it different from most emulsions that degrade pretty rapidly.
"This is probably the only type of emulsion," Sinha said in the press release, "that becomes more stable over time."
As plastic waste continues to pollute the planet — and our bodies — developing biodegradable alternatives like this one has never been more important. And heck, the idea of buying products made from a living mushroom is pretty cool, too.
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