Living mycelium dress can self-repair and renew itself
Dress made of living mycelium can renew and repair itself
Researchers in China have created a textile from living mycelium that is self-cleaning, can repair itself, and can be customized with 'plug-and-play' add-ons like color or UV resistance. The material, developed at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, uses dormant cordyceps militaris fungus that can be reactivated with a nutrient solution to grow and mend tears. A prototype dress was made with Berlin-based Peelsphere, and the work is published in Science Advances.
While synthetic biology has greatly expanded the functional capabilities of ELMs, a persistent challenge lies in integrating autonomous structural assembly with sustained biological activity at macroscopic scales.
- dustfinger
I wonder if there is a health hazard wearing this due to breathing in spores or toxins released into the air? Or perhaps there is a risk that the wearer will absorb harmful chemicals secreted by the mycelium via contact with the wearer's skin? Very interesting none the less. I have imagined humans making living clothes for a long time, so it is nice to see that idea materialize.
- AlanYx
The claim in the article that saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) naturally produced the deep blue color in the butterfly example is not actually true, although it's a gorgeous effect.
These are genetically engineered variants of brewer's yeast designed to produce pigments.
- funkygibbon
I would buy one, but I don’t think I have mushroom in my wardrobe for it.
- juancn
How does it smell though?
- andai
Could they make a house out of this?