Mushrooms, the new plastic?!

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VIDEO: Are Mushrooms The New Plastic? - Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operations

[Littlesparrow]

Sounds interesting, I wonder if they kill the fungus first before forming into whatever, I just get this funny picture of it getting wet and starting to multiply.

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Originally Posted by Littlesparrow

Sounds interesting, I wonder if they kill the fungus first before forming into whatever, I just get this funny picture of it getting wet and starting to multiply.

My understanding is you get some organic waste and form it into a shape. Then you let loose the fungus on it which transforms this "sandcastle" into a solid castle.

I would gess that the fungus dies naturally once it has eaten (and transformed into a solid) all the organic matter available to it. The video does not explain this part.

[FungiJus]

Very interesing DA - thanks for putting this up!

My understanding from the video was that the organic matter is not all consumed within the 5 days that they allow the mycelial threads to form, but that this forms the substance that the threads bind together. My guess is that they do kill the fungus (by heating maybe, or irradiation?).

Makes me wonder what would happen though if they lacquered the material once formed - could they make houses out of the stuff, or cars Perhaps more realistically this would be limited to products not intended to get wet - an eco friendly version of plasterboard perhaps....

J.