Robust Myco-Composites as a Platform for Versatile Hybrid-Living Structural Materials

Abstract: Living mycelium, a network of filamentous fungal threads, thrives on lignocellulosic waste and exhibits rapid growth, hydrophobicity, and intrinsic regeneration, offering a potential means to create next-generation sustainable and functional composites. However, existing hybrid-living mycelium composites are tremendously constrained by conventional mold-based manufacturing processes, which are only compatible with simple geometries and loose biomass substrates that enable gas exchange. Here we introduce a class of structural myco-composites manufactured with a novel platform that both enables creation of complex three-dimensional forms and yields the strongest mycelium composite reported to date, greatly enhancing the versatility and applicability of mycelium materials. By exploring principles of directed composite design and broad biocompatibility, we elegantly leverage high-resolution biocomposite additive manufacturing and robust mycelium colonization with indirect inoculation. We illustrate the versatility of this platform by fabricating foldable self-sealing containers and flexible mycelium textiles, and anticipate its applicability as a blueprint for diverse hybrid-living engineered materials.