The mushroom can be used to replace high-performance plastics

A study by the VTT Technical Research Center has shown that the Fomes fomosus mushroom could be the next step towards the use of sustainable materials

A group of researchers from the VTT Technical Research Centerin Finland, discovered how the complex structure of a type of fungus could be the next step towards replacing the use of plastic. The study was published in the journal The progress of science.

The microscopic organization of the species fomes fomosius it can be used to create high-performance materials such as impact resistant implants, sports equipment and automotive glass coatings.

Those mushrooms they are found in birches and have a structure that allows them to have exceptional mechanical properties, such as protection against insects and fallen branches, and being extremely light.

At the microscopic level, there are three distinct layers that organize at varying levels of complexity to create the material.

In each layer, the fungus “shows a very distinct microstructure with a single preferred orientation, aspect ratio, density and unique branch length,” said Pezhman Mohammadi, senior scientist at VTT.

The discovery is important because minimal alterations in the cellular morphology of the fungus result in different materials, with different physicochemical characteristics, which surpass most of the natural and man-made materials currently found. All this without increasing weight or density.

“Cultivating materials using simple ingredients can help overcome the cost, time, mass production, and sustainability of how we produce and consume materials in the future,” Pezhman explains.

Source: Terra

Rose

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