I’ve Seen The Future, And It’s Made of Mushrooms

[Are_grits_groceries]

I hate mushrooms. As a general rule, I don’t like any form of fungus, and absolutely detest the thought of ingesting it. But a pair of mechanical engineering students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have come up with a killer technology that is making me rethink my disdain for shrooms. They’ve created Greensulate, a strong, low-cost biomaterial that replaces the expensive, non-biodegradable plastics and styrofoam used in modern packaging and wall insulation (two HUGE pollutants).



Here’s the short version of how the stuff works:

In a lab, workers grow mycelia, the roots of mushrooms that look like gobs of white and brown fiber. In place of dirt, the roots grow in agricultural by-products, which creates a series of intertwining fibers which give the product its rigidity. Then, they simply place the mixture in a mold and let it grow for a couple of weeks until it’s super dense (1 cubic inch has 8 MILES of fibers). After that they shove them in an oven to dry and presto, you’ve got a finished product.



The inventors have started a company called Ecovative Design to market the technology, and I think they’re really onto something. Just imagine if they’re able to form this product into low-cost, biodegradable auto body panels and other automotive components. Or counter tops. Or flooring. They could even conceivably figure out a way to make children’s toys out of the material. For my sake, I hope they stop short of making dishes and kitchen utensils out of them, though. I don’t eat ANYTHING that touches mushrooms. Blech.

http://topcultured.com/design/ive-seen-the-future-and-its-made-of-mushrooms/

Muh...something new. Great idea.

[YOY]

1. Question: Ants, rats, and Roaches will eat anything.

Won't this stuff just be more to munch? Does the hardened mushroom not allow for that?

[IDFbunny]

6. Termites will love it to.

Is it wise to build from such tasty material?

[Eric J in MN]

2. Could be good, but...

...I'd like to see an empirical study in which the mushroom-based stuff biodegrades.

Same with corn-based products which supposedly bio-degrade.

Do we just assume that if it's plant-based, it must bio-degrade, or do we use empirical evidence of the performance of the product in a landfill?

[TK421]

3. Automotive components huh? So your car wouldn't go VROOM, VROOM

it would go SHROOM SHROOM!!! :D

Thank you....I'm here all night!

[napoleon_in_rags]

4. Brilliant, I think that is the future.

Eco-engineering or whatever you want to call it. I'm out at my old college today, Evergreen to run some errands. They are hiking tuition rates massively, which is going to lower enrollment. I was just talking to a staff here about how they should actually not do this, but introduce a bunch of classes with immediate economic value and get rid of some of the underwater basket weaving courses. Since we have such an investment in ecology and biology, I think this kind of green engineering would be ideal to fit that bill.

[GoneOffShore]

5. Paul Stamets gave a TED Lecture on Myecillium

Back in 2008 - Here's the link - http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html

He talks about the various ways fungi could be used to fight pollution and other things.

[Richard D]

8. Stamets is brilliant

His organization is called Fungi Perfecti. http://www.fungi.com/

[TK421]

7. You have to wonder who the guy was that dreamt this one up

but I'm sure he's a fun guy to be with....fungi, get it? :D

[PufPuf23]

9. Saying one doesn't like Mushrooms is like saying one

does not like vegetables.

There are many tastes and textures and means of preparation for food.

Try fresh from the woods matusakes (tanoak mushrooms) or morels and informed preparation. Yum!!

Cool potential technology too.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

10. You may hate 'em, Grits,

but if it wasn't for our fungal friends you'd be drowning in a sea of non-decomposing matter.

I understand. It wasn't until college and I tried some of the 'magic' variety, that I was able to override my disgust at the things and actually tuck in to mushrooms in a meal.

But perhaps the funniest and strangest synchronicity-thing about this post is that I was just out in my yard marveling at dozens of mushrooms that have sprouted around my raised beds. In less than 24 hours, these amazing mycelial creatures developed and built their massive fruiting bodies. Ain't DNA grand?