Mycelium, a root-like structure that comprises the main vegetative growth of fungi, has been identified as an ecologically friendly substitute to a litany of materials throughout different industries, including but not limited to packaging, fashion and building materials.[1] Such substitutes present a biodegradable alternative (also known as a "Living Building Material") to conventional materials.
Most notably, mycelium was first explored as an eco-friendly material alternative in 2006.[2] It was popularized by Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre through their work developing mycelium packaging while founding their company, Ecovative, during their time at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[2][3] Since its inception, the material's function has diversified into many niches.
- ^ Amobonye, Ayodeji; Lalung, Japareng; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Pillai, Santhosh (2023). "Fungal mycelium as leather alternative: A sustainable biogenic material for the fashion industry". Sustainable Materials and Technologies. 38: e00724. Bibcode:2023SusMT..3800724A. doi:10.1016/j.susmat.2023.e00724.
- ^ a b "About Ecovative". Ecovative. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ "Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre". Lemelson-MIT. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.