No abstract

Healthy material alternatives based on renewable resources and sustainable technologies have the potential to disrupt the environmentally damaging production and consumption practices established throughout the modern industrial era. In this study, a mycelium–nanocellulose biocomposite with hybrid properties is produced by the agitated liquid culture of a white‐rot fungus (Trametes ochracea) with nanocellulose (NC) comprised as part of the culture media. Mycelial development proceeds via the formation of pellets, where NC is enriched in the pellets and depleted from the surrounding liquid media. Micrometer‐scale NC elements become engulfed in mycelium, whereas it is hypothesized that the nanometer‐scale fraction becomes integrated within the hyphal cell wall, such that all NC in the system is essentially surface‐modified by mycelium. The NC confers mechanical strength to films processed from the biocomposite, whereas the mycelium screens typical cellulose–water interactions, giving fibrous slurries that dewater faster and films that exhibit significantly improved wet resistance in comparison to pure NC films. The mycelium–nanocellulose biocomposites are processable in the ways familiar to papermaking and are suggested for diverse applications, including packaging, filtration, and hygiene products.

The proposed research offers an integrated methodology fusing material-driven design process with biotechnological tools, to explore the potential of myceliumbased composites as sustainable alternatives in design and architecture applications. The ecological role of saprophytic fungi as organic matter decomposers in is recently harnessed to construct highly porous materials made with regional pruning waste bound by fungal mycelium. This study aims to establish a primary framework to imply mycelium composites in circular production scenarios. According to literature, the physio-mechanical performances of mycelium are affected by parameters such as substrate content, incubation conditions and fabrication process. Our study explores how substrate composition affect mycelium development and derivative material performance. The relations between visual, chemical, and physical properties of mycelium composites were inspected. Results indicate clear variance in material properties of assorted compositions tested. By altering these variables, myceliumbased composites can be inherently modified to suit diverse implications.

Highly hydrophobic cellulosic nanomaterials were prepared via iodine-catalyzed butyrate esterification of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The structure and properties of butyrated cellulose nanocrystals (Bu-CNC) were investigated via advanced spectroscopic, morphological, optical, thermal, contact angle, and coating analyses. Bu-CNC retained cellulose crystallinity, was hydrophobic with a static contact angle of 81.54°and displayed 18.5% enhancement in its thermal stability. Moreover, Bu-CNC possessed a solid multilamellar cellulose II structure and showed liquid crystalline behavior over a wide range of temperatures. Bu-CNC formed transparent flexible films upon drying and was easily dispersible in ethanol and acetone. As a thermally stable hydrophobic liquid crystalline biobased material, Bu-CNC presents a new class of nanomaterial, which potentially suits various industrial and medical applications.

Material development based on fungal mycelium is a fast-rising field of study as researchers, industry, and society actively search for new sustainable materials to address contemporary material challenges. The compelling potential of fungal mycelium materials is currently being explored in relation to various applications, including construction, packaging, “meatless” meat, and leather-like textiles. Here, we highlight the discussions and outcomes from a recent 1-day conference on the topic of fungal mycelium materials (“Fungal Mycelium Materials Mini Meeting”), where a group of researchers from diverse academic disciplines met to discuss the current state of the art, their visions for the future of the material, and thoughts on the challenges surrounding widescale implementation.

The cover image representing article number 2000196 by Tiffany Abitbol and co‐workers shows a polarized optical microscopy image showing a mycelium pellet grown in the presence of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). The result is a hybrid bionanocomposite, where the CNF becomes integrated within the fungal pellets, engulfed by mycelium. In the image, the mycelium appears as a delicate semi‐transparent web, whereas the CNF is birefringent (yellow and blue) due to its crystalline structure, thus distinguishing it from mycelium.