Synthetic bio startup Huue has raised $14.6 million in a Series A funding round for what it says is the world’s first clean and scalable indigo dye for denim.
“The world can’t wait for sustainable solutions, and consumers are starting to hold their favorite brands accountable for using eco-friendly materials in their products,” Michelle Zhu, CEO of Huue, said in a statement.
Huue’s raise brings its total funding to date to $17.6 million. The latest raise comes after nabbing Time Magazine’s ‘Best Invention of 2021’ title for its proprietary tech. The funding comes by way of Material Impact with participation from HSBC Asset Management’s Climate Tech VC as well as its roster of current investors: SOSV, iGlobe, and Nobel prize winner and CRISPR Technology inventor Jennifer Doudna and Professor Jamie Cate.
Funding the future of fashion
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to accelerate with support from our existing and new investors, Material Impact and HSBC Asset Management’s Climate Tech VC Fund, who share our vision for a sustainable and scalable future for consumer goods,” Zhu said. Corinna Chen, Partner at Material Impact, will join Huue’s Board of Directors.
Hailey Bieber wears Levi’s recycled denim
“At Material Impact, we seek out deep tech innovation that has the capacity to solve meaningful world problems,” said Chen. “Huue’s breakthrough approach to bio-based dye manufacturing is a true gamechanger for industries under mounting pressure to minimize their environmental footprint. Huue’s market entry is perfectly timed, and we are thrilled to be partnering with this talented team to scale up and commercialize the dye of the future.”
Clean color
The funding will help the company accelerate its commercial scale-up and product offerings for the fashion industry. Huue says demand for sustainability in the fashion industry is at an all-time high. And while that’s largely been focused on materials, dyes have been a key area of concern for years; textile dyeing is a leading source of wastewater. The process is also heavily reliant on chemicals that pose human health and environmental risks.
Pangaia’s Nettle Denim | Courtesy
“At Huue, we’ve developed a way to tap into biology’s artistry to create clean color solutions—without the environmental impact and harmful chemicals,” says Zhu.
Huue uses a proprietary bio-based dyeing process that relies on enzyme-produced dyes that mimic how colors are produced in nature. Huue says its technology offers a one-to-one manufacturing solution.
Denim is Huue’s first target—it’s the most common apparel item in the world, the company says. But the technology has applications that extend into other categories including food and beverage as well as personal care items.
No longer a guilty pleasure—vegan ice cream is now a way to combat food waste, according to Austrian food tech startup Wunderkern.
The Vienna and Lower Austria-based Wunderkern, founded in 2019 by Michael Beitl, Luca Fichtinger, Fabian Wagesreither, and Sebastian Jeschko, says it’s using stone fruit pits in the best way possible. By turning them into cold-pressed oils, Wunderkern says it has made a dairy-free ice cream that’s better for the environment, promotes a circular economy, and makes a tasty, healthy frozen dessert for people looking for alternatives to dairy.
“This way we can actually counteract climate change and set actions against global warming,” the company said in a statement.
Fruit pit food waste
Wunderkern is turning three fruit pits into cold-pressed oils: apricot, cherry, and plum. It says it developed a unique process in its factory to create the oils.
Earlier this month, the Everything Apricot festival in Krems, Austria, saw the Apricot Kernel Ice Cream make its debut. Wunderkern says the apricot kernel-based ice cream tastes similar to conventional dairy ice cream and “allows foodies to indulge in delicious and cooling ice cream while being utterly sustainable.”
The company served up its dairy-free ice cream in two popular flavors: chocolate and vanilla. But it also trialed apricot fruit pulp—a flavor it says is most important.
Wunderkern fruit pit oil | courtesy
According to Wunderkern, the shift to its products is critical in the fight against climate change. It points to both the emissions from conventional cow-based dairy and the common substitute in the frozen dessert sector—almond—as both being resource intensive. Both are two of the top consumers of fresh water. Dairy is also a leading contributor to climate change; agriculture is responsible for 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and livestock makes up about 60 percent of that.
Wunderkern says by using pits—otherwise considered food waste—it’s creating a circular economic channel and additional revenue source for fruit farmers.
Food waste has been a recurring character in the fight against climate change. In the U.S., companies including Rind, Forager, and The Ugly Co use “imperfect” fruits and vegetables or leftover food waste such as juice pulp.
The company is selling its oils and an apricot kernel-based version of Nutella on its website where it tells consumers how many fruit pits they save in each bottle of the oils or spreads.
Fruit pit safety
Apricot, plum, and cherry pits contain a chemical called amygdalin, which the body converts into cyanide—a chemical that can be fatal in small doses.
While plum pits can contain higher levels of the substance, apricot pits are more broadly used. Poorly processed apricot kernel oil can contain traces of the chemical.
Apricots | Courtesy Canva
Laetrile, a compound made from amygdalin, has been touted as a treatment for cancer, despite little evidence supporting its effectiveness.
Most health agencies advise against eating apricot kernels, other stone fruit pits, or their derivatives. But for people who are consuming them, it is advised to limit their intake to no more than 0.37g per adult per day—about one to two apricot kernels maximum. They are not advised for children.
Products claiming to cure cancer by containing Laetrile are banned in some parts of the world, including the U.S. The kernels are often still available, though, sold illegally, which makes regulating their safety more difficult.
Italy has long been synonymous with luxury fashion and globally-recognised design talent. A new crop of Italian entrepreneurs are changing the discourse on what it means to create a fashion company in today’s global markets, where sustainability has become a key consideration.
The fashion industry is reckoning with itself and sustainability has become the mot du jour: fast fashion brands, luxury labels and independent boutiques are all ramping up their sustainability efforts, from launching circular resale and rental services to incorporating recycled and repurposed materials into their designs or even innovating new ways to minimise the environmental footprint of aftercare.
But the true pioneers are entrepreneurs creating their own systems and doing the hard work of building planet-forward and people-forward brands from scratch complete with ethical supply chains and a low waste ethos. Below, we’re highlighting Italian founders of eco fashion startups who are shaping the future of the industry.
Source: Skin of Nature
1. Elena Beraldo – Founder of Skin of Nature
After moving to Hong Kong to work in the apparel supply chain as a sustainable sourcing expert, Elena Beraldo decided to build her own brand Skin of Nature. It offers conscious active-lifestyle apparel and its latest collection, Aquatilis, is inspired by the work of marine biologist and underwater photographer Alexander Semenov. All the pieces are made in small batches with 100% recycled polyester yarns derived from recovered plastic bottles, which slashes the carbon footprint of the garments by 30%, reduces water wastage by 20% and energy use by 60% compared to traditional production methods. To further solidify the brand’s commitment to minimise its environmental impact, 1% of all sales from the Aquatilis collection will be donated to Semenov’s nonprofit of the same name, which supports marine conservation projects.
Claudia Pievani founded Miomojo, the cruelty-free and sustainable Italian fashion brand offering accessories, bags and apparel using materials that do not harm the environment or any animals. While retaining the style and flair of Italian design, Miomojo’s collection ditches fur, wool, silk, feathers or leather for 100% plant-based alternatives such as apple and cactus leather, as well as recycled materials derived from recovered ghost fishing nets and plastic waste, and natural pesticide-free linen, hemp and bamboo fabrics. In addition, 10% of every purchase made online on Miomojo’s website goes towards supporting multiple animal conservation charities all around the world, including Animals Asia, Four Paws, Edgar’s Mission, Mercy for Animals and more.
3. Alessandro Nora, Ludovico Durante & Chiara Latini – Founders of STAIY
Italian trio Alessandro Nora, Ludovico Durante and Chiara Latini (alongside German-Italian Adrian Leue) came together to create STAIY, descrive themselves as the first online platform to offer customers nothing but the most eco-friendly brands, making it super easy and convenient for fashion lovers to shop without having to worry about their environmental impact. Though all from different career backgrounds (startups, finance, marketing and management), the founders are united in their vision that all garments featured on their platform should be evaluated to the highest standards under 5 main “pillars” – water use, air pollution, materials, work conditions and commitment to give back to the community. On the platform, each brand’s score is then turned into “Impact Points”, which can be collected through purchases and then be reinvested into the company’s sustainability efforts. The platform is currently more Europe-centric with many EU-based brands but they have plans to expand globally soon.
Japan’s DIC Corporation, one of the world’s leading fine chemicals companies, has completed an undisclosed investment into U.S.-based biotech startup Back of the Yards Algae Sciences, which has developed a vegan heme alternative to genetically modified soy using spirulina.
The Chicago-based Back of the Yards Algae Sciences (BYAS) was launched in 2018 by Leonard Lerer, an MD MBA with almost 30 years of life sciences R&D, finance, and management experience. The company is working to develop innovative extracts and sustainable proteins. It’s an area of interest for DIC, which says it’s working to shift toward more sustainable and circular algae-derived products including food colorants, additives, and biostimulants that can help improve farming yields.
Sustainable development
DIC works across a number of sectors including packaging materials as well as materials for smartphones, automobiles, and televisions. The company has been prioritizing sustainability in recent years, looking also at products that it says “respond to social change and which help address social imperatives.”
BYAS offers DIC access to its proprietary technology for the extraction of active ingredients from biobased materials, including algae and mycelia—the root structure of mushrooms.
Courtest Burger King
The company has developed a heme analog from the blue-green algae spirulina. according to BYAS, it’s receiving industry interest for its ability to “enhance the alternative meat taste and aroma, without the use of genetically modified organisms.”
That development could play a big role in future vegan meat options. Bay Area vegan meat producer Impossible Foods has come under fire for its use of genetically modified soy for its heme element. Heme is what gives the company’s vegan meat that meaty and bleeding texture and appearance. While a hit in the U.S., with placement in Burger King among other chains, heme has slowed the company’s expansion plans outside of the U.S., while its chief competitor, Beyond Meat, which does not use heme, has sped into European and Asian markets in recent years.
Spirulina research
DIC has been a leader in spirulina research since the 1970s. The multinational corporation developed a natural and edible pigment from the algae, a food color product called Lina Blue. It’s been used in food products as well as livestock feed.
Photo by Vita Marija Murenaite on Unsplash
BYAS says its platform is also ‘zero-waste,’ and that it “effectively utilizes all ingredients obtained from biobased materials.” This, the company says, contributes to improved consumer health as well as the circular economy, which it says is “perfectly aligned” with DIC’s vision.
The investment will see DIC and BYAS share their algae tech to develop new products, improve efficiency, reduce waste, and increase sustainability efforts. There’s also a go-to-market plan with DIC Group member Sun Chemical Corporation.
New York sustainable materials startup AlgiKnit has closed a $13 million Series A funding round, led by Collective Fund. Other participants include H&M CO:LAB, Starlight Ventures, Third Nature Ventures, and existing backers Horizons Ventures and SOSV. Total funding to date has now reached $17.9 million, making AlgiKnit a substantial player in the biomaterials niche.
The new investment will be used to scale production of AlgiKnit’s proprietary kelp-based yarns and fibres. It comes as the startup has just officially opened its new facility within North Carolina’s Research Triangle, ready to service multiple industries. Fashion, interiors, furnishings, and automotive have been specifically named as sectors AlgiKnit will be supplying with its environmentally friendly materials.
Sustainability throughout the company
AlgiKnit was founded with a mandate to disrupt the fashion and textile industries, specifically their impact on the environment. The fashion industry has been identified as the third-largest polluter. In a report by the World Economic Forum, the creation of synthetic fibres was found to contribute to the majority of fashion’s carbon footprint.AlgiKnit’s yarns are created from regenerative and infinitely renewable kelp, which creates a far lower footprint.
“The textile industry is responsible for as much as 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions – in addition to being massively polluting and water-intensive. We’re thrilled to be leading AlgiKnit’s Series A round, and to be investing in a technology that is pushing the world towards a more sustainable future,” Sophie Bakalar, partner at Collaborative Fund said in a statement.
Taking things further than just product sustainability, AlgiKnit has sought to build out its new facility with eco practices in mind. The 15,000 square foot expansion was completed using upcycled materials wherever possible and finished with second-hand furniture.
“The building process was predicated on creating a vibrant, innovative working environment without compromising our commitment to the planet. From utilizing an existing space that met our specifications to reusing and repurposing as much as we possibly could, sustainability was always top of mind.” Aleksandra Gosiewski, co-founder and COO of AlgiKnit, who led the company’s expansion to North Carolina, said in a statement.
Scaled for success
AlgiKnit’s new facility will allow the startup to scale for widespread fashion industry disruption. The team is looking to increase its partnerships and personnel now ahead of a predicted global demand for quantified sustainable materials.
“This is a huge next step in bringing this technology to scale, and creating positive, tangible change for the planet. We are so excited to partner with new and existing investors who share our vision for transforming the fashion ecosystem,” Tessa Callaghan, co-founder and CEO of AlgiKnit said in a statement.
The changing face of fashion
Earlier this month, Pangaia announced another environmentally motivated capsule collection. Working with Spiber, the brand has released its NXT GEN hoodie, made using bio-based fabric made from fermented protein. Dubbed Brewed Protein, the fermented development is blended with organic cotton to create a fashion-stable material. Pangaia’s hoodie comes after the brand already worked with nettle fibre denim and more recently, bacteria-based dyes inspired by colours from nature.
Modern Synthesis recently confirmed it had scooped $4.1 million to continue its R&D into microbial textiles. Using agricultural waste as a feedstock, the startup produces a weaveable nanocellulose material, which is entirely biodegradable. The product has been shown to be a credible alternative to animal leather, including within footwear applications. Sampling and small batch runs to assess production capabilities will now commence.
In May, San Francisco’s VitroLabs received backing from luxury group Kering in a $46 million Series A funding round. The biotech startup cultivates animal-derived leather that it claims is less environmentally damaging than its conventional counterpart.
Alternative material innovator and casual wear brand Pangaia Lab has announced the launch of a capsule collection powered by Brewed Protein, a biomaterial made by Spiber. The collection includes the NXT GEN Hoodie, a sweater that contains 88 percent organic cotton, with the remaining 12 percent of fibres supplied by Brewed Protein.
Spiber and Pangaia have worked together to prove that sustainable bio-based fabric technology is ready to scale. The Brewed Protein development is offered as an alternative to animal-derived and carbon-emitting fabrics. The final NXT GEN hoodie is a showcase of the synthetic material, which has been created using DNA found in nature as its inspiration.
Photo by Pangaia.
Growing sustainable fabrics
Pangaia and Spiber are aiming to disrupt material production with their collaborative bio-fabric created using fermentation technology. The process requires DNA codes to be identified from nature, before being built upon to create a totally new material, free from petrochemical bases.
The need for sustainable materials, according to Pangaia, has never been greater. Continued use of synthetic materials, based on fossil fuels, is creating irreparable harm to the planet. The brand cites polyester and polyurethane as major offenders, with both contributing to water toxicity, air and land pollution and climate change.
Spiber has created a database of DNA sequences from various natural organisms. From here, it designs an entirely new variation and synthesises it. The unique DNA is inserted into microbes that are given sugar-based feedstocks to break down and allow fermentation to begin. Polymers are created by fermentation and removed from process residue, resulting in a protein powder that can be spun into fibres. When combined with organic cotton, the Brewed Protein is stable and suitable for transforming into clothing. The NXT Gen Hoodie acts as proof of concept and complexity.
Photo by Spiber.
The antithesis of fast fashion
To look at, the hoodie is unextraordinary. It could pass for a regular cotton sweatshirt, barring the customary white type paragraph on the front that details the production process. The price tag, however, will garner attention. Costing £305, the jumper does not represent democratic access to earth-friendly materials. It is, however, a stark reminder that sustainability doesn’t always manage to make price parity a priority.
Current predictions state that by 2030, the global population will have exceeded 8.5 billion. Spiber states that if the Paris Agreement is going to stand any chance of being fulfilled, at least one in every five items of clothing will need to align with a circular production model. This ties in with the E.U.’s decision to implement rules surrounding product quality. The new directive will seek to ensure clothes sold within Europe are infinitely more repairable, longer-lasting and easy to recycle at end of life.
Photo by Pangaia.
Pangaia’s history of sustainable capsule launches
As a brand, Pangaia was founded on principles of ethical fashion. To date, it has launched seaweed-based active wear, zero-waste trainers, nettle fibre denim and more. Its most recent development was a partnership with Colorifix to use bacteria-based dyes that would negate synthetic dye run-off. Pangaia debuted pink and blue items within its 365 capsule collection, launched in December last year.
As with most previous launches, the new NXT GEN Hoodie will feature a digital passport. The idea was launched by Pangaia in may last year and adds a QR code to care labels which, when scanned, show life cycle information about the garment and offers full transparency about manufacturing methods. Information is updated in real-time and the brand aims to offer data for at least 80 percent of its ranges, by the end of the year.
Modern Synthesis has closed a $4.1 million seed funding round. The U.K.-based biomaterials startup scooped investment from AgFunder, Collaborative Fund, Acequia Capital and Petri Bio, amongst numerous others. Funding will be used to develop its proprietary agricultural waste conversion platform that aims to make the fashion industry more sustainable.
Replacing animal and petrochemical-based materials in the fashion supply chain is cited as Modern Synthesis’ driving motivation. The startup uses bacteria to convert sugars found in agricultural waste into a weaveable nanocellulose material. The fabric is fully biodegradable and considered strong enough to replace conventional materials in everything from clothing to shoes.
Photo by Ranurte on Unsplash.
Using microbes to create a truly circular economy
Modern Synthesis is not specifically engaged in trying to create a vegan leather alternative. Instead, the startup claims it is seeking to develop a totally new material, which can be applied to projects that are traditionally completed using unsustainable fabrics. The hope is that it will spur a new category of materials, defined by their environmental credentials.
“What we’re trying to do is build this new class of materials that is more sustainable but also allows us to design and create in new ways, which is really exciting for the fashion industry,” Jen Keane, Modern Synthesis co-founder and CEO told AgFunder News. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to build a circular manufacturing system with these microbes that enables us to leverage agricultural waste and use the microbes as manufacturing units and transfer them into more viable materials. On the flip side, we see the opportunity to have new-class materials that are fully cellulosic, so we can recycle them back into silos and recycling streams.”
Testing the theory
So far, Modern Synthesis has successfully printed a show upper using its microbial weaving technique. It mimics the conventional warp-and-weft weaving style but takes up to two weeks to create a usable biofabric. Instead of producing sheets of material, scaffolding is used to shape fibres. The startup’s genetically modified microbes grow around the scaffolds to produce the end result, similar to using 3D printing.
The benefits of weaving to shape include zero fabric waste, a major issue in the fashion sector. It is hoped that the technique can be scaled effectively to remove leathers, textiles and films from the fashion supply chain. One “key sportswear customer” has been cited as signing up for prototyping.
Photo by Modern Synthesis.
The $4.1 million seed funding will be used to construct a pilot manufacturing facility, in London. The location will include a lab and production facilities that will allow for sampling and small-batch runs. The proposed deadline for being operational is the third quarter of this year.
Why sustainable materials matter
In excess of 70 percent of the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions are created during upstream processes. Notably, the production of virgin materials. By cutting fabric waste and building out a production platform that allows for fully biodegradable fabrics, the sector will be able to make fast progress toward slashing its environmental impact. As a result, the biomaterials sector is growing, with predictions of a $2.2 billion value by 2026 already floated.
Prior to founding Modern Synthesis, Keane undertook a creative residency at Bolt Threads, a fellow biomaterials startup. The mushroom leather company has previously announced partnerships with fashion big-hitters including Adidas, Lululemon, Stella McCartney and luxury brands owner Kering. Last year, McCartney used Mylo, the startup’s signature leather alternatives, to create ready-to-wear clothing, following a successful application in a handbag.
In January, vegan leather startup MycoWorks demonstrated interest in the sustainable materials sphere by closing a $125 million Series C funding round. The company had already produced mycelium-based leather for multiple brands, including Hermès but raised funds to scale its manufacturing capabilities. The signature material, dubbed Reishi, is slated to be ideal for the luxury market as it can be made to exact specifications that replicate the butterfly leather commonly used by high-end brands.
4Mins Read French-based luxury fashion corporation Kering has confirmed investment in San Francisco biotech startup VitroLabs. The latter has created a platform for growing cultivated animal-dervied leather that is environmentally superior to its conventional counterpart. The material is claimed to have high scalability, this piquing the interest of luxury brand owner Kering. VitroLabs just closed a $46 […]
As consumers become increasingly conscious of their fashion choices, the industry is scrambling to switch to more animal-free and vegan leather to retain their share in the quickly shifting market.
According to a recent report, the global vegan leather sector will balloon to US$89 billion by 2025, with the majority of the growth led by Asia-Pacific. But it isn’t just animal welfare that brands have to consider – consumers are now demanding sustainable alternatives too, which means that decades of using petroleum-based plastic superficial leathers are now out of fashion, while emerging new plant-based leathers are in.
Let’s take a look at what’s now out there in the market.
Source: Piñatex / Mary’s Pineapple
Piñatex (aka pineapple leather)
Piñatex is one of the first natural vegan leather brands that emerged as an alternative to PU and PVC, which are plastic and petroleum-based alternatives widely used in animal-free products for the past years, but are harmful to the environment. Created by Dr. Carmen Hijosa, Piñatex has a leather-like quality thanks to cellulose fibres extracted from pineapple leaves. But while far more eco-friendly than PU and PVC leathers in terms of requiring fewer carbon emissions to produce, it is still mixed with polylactic acid and a petroleum-based resin, which makes the end-product non-biodegradable.
Source: Luxtra
Mango leather
Dutch startup Fruitleather Rotterdam has created mango leather, which is a durable vegan material made using leftover mangoes sourced from fruit markets. The fabric is created by mashing and boiling mangoes, a process that eliminates any bacteria, and then mixing it with various natural additives before spreading the mashed paste into sheets to dry. However, while the material itself claims to be 100% synthetic-free and helps to reduce food waste, it is pressed into a polyester-based textile backing, which is derived from petroleum-based plastic. Mango leather has recently been used in London-based sustainable label Luxtra’s new collection of vegan leather handbags.
Source: MuSkin
Mushroom leather
Mushroom leather is one of the best-known vegan leather materials now out there rivalling pineapple leather. The appearance resembles cowhide, but requires absolutely no animals – it is made from the tops of Phellinus ellipsoideus mushrooms, which are naturally tanned to give its leather-like look. It is biodegradable and generates a fraction of the environmental footprint compared to conventional cow’s leather. Check out Bolt Threads, Myco Works, and Ecovative, all leaders in the space.
Source: Samara
Apple leather
Turns out, apple skin pulp can also do the job of recreating leather. Fashion brand Samara, for instance, have worked with a small factory in Europe to create vegan leather using the byproduct of the juice industry – apple skins. Apple skin pulp is then mixed with microfibres or PU when necessary, which is plastic-based but is used in far smaller quantities compared to full PU leather alternatives. Another company, Italy-based Frumat Leather, has also used apple skin to replace leather.
Source: Vegea
Vegea (aka grape skin leather)
Italian biomaterial startup Vegea has created a natural raw material mimicking leather out of the skins, seeds and rasps of grapes that are used in wine production. Transforming “wine waste” into an eco-friendly soft leather-like material, Vegea’s invention has won them multiple high-profile partnerships, including with fast fashion giant H&M to make handbags and shoes and luxury car maker Bentley to line the interior of its 100th anniversary car.
Source: Desserto
Desserto Leather (aka cactus leather)
Mexican entrepreneurs Adrian Lopez and Marte Cazarez have developed a vegan leather alternative made from a species of cacti called prickly pears, which require very little water to grow, and can easily survive in different climate zones. Called Desserto Leather, the cactus-based organic material, which is naturally tanned, possesses all the features and functionalities of animal leather at a fraction of the environmental cost. The innovation has won Lopez and Cazarez the VII International Green Product Award in Munich, Germany.
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Fungi — a scientific goldmine? Well, that’s what a review publishedlast year in the journal Trends in Biotechnology indicates. You may think mushrooms are a long chalk from the caped crusaders of sustainability. But think again.
Many of us have heard of fungi’s role in creating more sustainable leather substitutes. Amadou vegan leather crafted from fungal-fruiting bodies has been around for some 5,000 years.
More recently, mycelium leather substitutes have taken the stage. These are produced from the root-like structure mycelium, which snakes through dead wood or soil beneath mushrooms.
You might even know about how fungi help us make many fermented food and drinks such as beer, wine, bread, soy sauce and tempeh. Many popular vegan protein products, including Quorn, are just flavoured masses of fungal mycelium.
But what makes fungi so versatile? And what else can they do?
Show me foamy and flexible
Fungal growth offers a cheap, simple and environmentally friendly way to bind agricultural byproducts (such as rice hulls, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse and molasses) into biodegradable and carbon-neutral foams.
Fungal foams are becoming increasingly popular as sustainable packaging materials; IKEA is one company that has indicated a commitment to using them.
Fungal foams can also be used in the construction industry for insulation, flooring and panelling. Research has revealed them to be strong competitors against commercial materials in terms of having effective sound and heat insulation properties.
Rigid and flexible fungal foams have several construction applications including (a) particle board and insulation cores, (b) acoustic absorbers, (c) flexible foams and (d) flooring. (Source: Jones et al)
Moreover, adding in industrial wastes such as glass fines (crushed glass bits) in these foams can improve their fire resistance.
And isolating only the mycelium can produce a more flexible and spongy foam suitable for products such as facial sponges, artificial skin, ink and dye carriers, shoe insoles, lightweight insulation lofts, cushioning, soft furnishings and textiles.
Paper that doesn’t come from trees? No, chitin
For other products, it’s the composition of fungi that matters. Fungal filaments contain chitin: a remarkable polymer also found in crab shells and insect exoskeletons.
Chitin has a fibrous structure, similar to cellulose in wood. This means fungal fibre can be processed into sheets the same way paper is made.
When stretched, fungal papers are stronger than many plastics and not much weaker than some steels of the same thickness. We’ve yet to test its properties when subject to different forces.
Fungal paper’s strength can be substituted for rubbery flexibility by using specific fungal species, or a different part of the mushroom. The paper’s transparency can be customised in the same way.
Growing fungi in mineral-rich environments results in inherent fire resistance for the fungus, as it absorbs the inflammable minerals, incorporating them into its structure. Add to this that water doesn’t wet fungal surfaces, but rolls off, and you’ve got yourself some pretty useful paper.
Source: Pexels
A clear solution to dirty water
Some might ask: what’s the point of fungal paper when we already get paper from wood? That’s where the other interesting attributes of chitin come into play — or more specifically, the attributes of its derivative, chitosan.
Chitosan is chitin that has been chemically modified through exposure to an acid or alkali. This means with a few simple steps, fungal paper can adopt a whole new range of applications.
For instance, chitosan is electrically charged and can be used to attract heavy metal ions. So what happens if you couple it with a mycelium filament network that is intricate enough to prevent solids, bacteria and even viruses (which are much smaller than bacteria) from passing through?
The result is an environmentally friendly membrane with impressive water purification properties. In our research, my colleagues and I found this material to be stable, simple to make and useful for laboratory filtration.
While the technology hasn’t yet been commercialised, it holds particular promise for reducing the environmental impact of synthetic filtration materials, and providing safer drinking water where it’s not available.
Mushrooms in modern medicine
Perhaps even more interesting is chitosan’s considerable biomedical potential. Fungal materials have been used to create dressings with active wound healing properties.
Although not currently on the market, these have been proven to have antibacterial properties, stem bleeding and support cell proliferation and attachment.
Fungal enzymes can also be used to combat bacteria active in tooth decay, enhance bleaching and destroy compounds responsible for bad breath.
Then there’s the well-known role of fungi in antibiotics. Penicillin, made from the Penicillium fungi, was a scientific breakthrough that has saved millions of lives and become a staple of modern healthcare.
Many antibiotics are still produced from fungi or soil bacteria. And in an age of increasing antibiotic resistance, genome sequencing is finally enabling us to identify fungi’s untapped potential for manufacturing the antibiotics of the future.
Source: Pixabay
Mushrooms mending the environment
Fungi could play a huge role in sustainability by remedying existing environmental damage.
For example, they can help clean up contaminated industrial sites through a popular technique known as mycoremediation, and can break down or absorb oils, pollutants, toxins, dyes and heavy metals.
They can also compost some synthetic plastics, such as polyurethane. In this process, the plastic is buried in regulated soil and its byproducts are digested by specific fungi as it degrades.
These incredible organisms can even help refine bio fuels. Whether or not we go as far as using fungal coffins to decompose our bodies into nutrients for plants — well, that’s a debate for another day.
But one thing is for sure: fungi have the undeniable potential to be used for a whole range of purposes we’re only beginning to grasp.
It could be the beer you drink, your next meal, antibiotics, a new faux leather bag or the packaging that delivered it to you — you never know what form the humble mushroom will take tomorrow.
