Living Mycelium Dress Self-Repairs and Renews via Nutrient Solution
A team of researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology in China has created a textile that is self-cleaning, self-renewing, and almost self-repairing, utilizing dormant cordyceps militaris fungus. The study, led by Ke Li and published in Science Advances, presents a 'programmable fungal platform' where mycelium is enhanced with features such as color and UV resistance through co-culturing with organisms like brewer's yeast and aspergillus niger. The material can be mended using a nutrient solution and fresh fungus. A prototype dress was developed in collaboration with Berlin-based Peelsphere, established by YouYang Song and Ruochen Wang. While potential applications range from fashion to biodegradable packaging, enhancements in durability and safety are necessary for wider adoption.
Key facts
- Researchers at Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology created a textile from living mycelium.
- The material is self-cleaning, self-renewing, and nearly self-repairing.
- It uses dormant cordyceps militaris fungus, remaining in a low-metabolic state.
- The research was published in Science Advances.
- The 'programmable fungal platform' allows plug-and-play add-ons via co-culturing with other fungi or yeast.
- Blue colour comes from brewer's yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae), UV resistance from aspergillus niger.
- Repair is triggered by applying a nutrient solution of potato water and a patch of fresh fungus.
- A prototype dress was made with Berlin-based Peelsphere, designed by YouYang Song and constructed by Ruochen Wang.
- Applications include conceptual fashion, accessories, decorative textiles, exhibition pieces, and biodegradable packaging.
- Further improvements are needed for routine clothing or architectural use.
Entities
Artists
- Ke Li
- YouYang Song
- Ruochen Wang
Institutions
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology
- Peelsphere
- Dezeen
- Science Advances
Locations
- China
- Berlin
- Germany
Sources
- Dezeen —