Mycelium as a Material for 3D Printing

As plastic remains one of the most widespread materials on earth, there has been much discussion on to its impact on the climate. However, anyone who believes that plastic is the only culprit among environmentally harmful materials is mistaken. The cement industry ranks third in terms of its CO2 emissions (according to the UN Environment Program 2020) and you only have to look around to see how ubiquitous cement and concrete are in our lives. Thankfully, intensive research is being carried out into new materials that can be used as alternatives. One of these materials is mycelium or mycelium/mycelium, which is based on fungi. In combination with 3D printing, this bio-based material has great potential as an environmentally friendly construction industry and numerous applications.

Mushroom mycelium has actually been researched as a building material for many years. To be precise, it is not the fungus itself that is used as a building material, but its root system. This is where its hyphae, the fungal filaments, are found, which fuse together and form a network, namely the mycelium. This can spread to other materials and penetrate wood or straw, for example, in order to utilize their nutrients. If the fungus also gets water, it grows. This parasitic existence is actively used to enrich the mycelium with nutrients from other materials. The mycelium then acts as an adhesive so that the mixture of materials becomes solid and can be molded – or printed.

Schematic of the root system (photo credits: Biomimicry)

Fungi are also known for their carbon-absorbing abilities. This means they can help to slow down climate change. In addition, many fungi are not particularly picky about their “feed”, so they also draw nutrients for growth from waste or residual materials, which further favors the circular economy. In this sense, mycelium-based materials can be actively cultivated.