Empa scientists have developed a tear-resistant, edible and self-regenerating material — made entirely from a living fungus — that could one day replace plastics, emulsifiers, and even batteries.
Key Points at a Glance
- Empa researchers created a living, biodegradable material from fungal mycelium and its own secretions
- The material is tear-resistant, edible, and requires no chemical processing
- It shows potential as a sustainable film, emulsifier, humidity sensor, and even battery component
- The fungus can help decompose organic waste, offering a dual-function for bioplastics
When you think of mushrooms, you might picture something on your dinner plate or growing on forest floors. But a new study from Switzerland’s EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) could radically change that image. Their researchers have engineered a living material — strong, edible, and self-regenerating — made from the mycelium of a common fungus. It could soon be used in place of plastic films, food emulsifiers, humidity sensors, and even battery components.
At the heart of this breakthrough is the split-gill mushroom (Schizophyllum commune), a widespread, wood-loving fungus known in some regions as a delicacy. Its mycelium — the underground, thread-like part of the fungus — has long intrigued scientists as a potential eco-material. But until now, making use of it required extensive cleaning and chemical processing that diminished its natural advantages.
The EMPA team took a different approach. Rather than refining the fungus, they embraced it whole and alive. This meant harnessing not just its physical structure — the hyphae — but also its extracellular matrix: a cocktail of biopolymers, proteins and macromolecules that the fungus secretes to support its growth. Among these were two especially potent ingredients: schizophyllan, a nanofiber polysaccharide, and hydrophobin, a protein with soap-like properties.
Together, these molecules make the living material surprisingly strong and flexible — and they give it superpowers.
In their lab, researchers demonstrated how the fungal network could serve as an all-natural emulsifier, perfect for stabilizing mixtures like salad dressings, cosmetic creams or paints. Remarkably, because the fungus continues producing stabilizing molecules over time, the emulsion grows more stable, not less. And because the split-gill mushroom is edible and nontoxic, the applications for food and cosmetics are especially promising.
In a second demonstration, the scientists created thin, semi-transparent films of the material that resembled biodegradable plastic. These fungal sheets were tear-resistant and moisture-reactive, opening doors to uses as biodegradable packaging, humidity sensors, or components in biodegradable electronics.
As if that weren’t enough, the material is also a biodegrader. The fungus not only breaks down naturally in the environment, but it can actively compost organic waste, potentially revolutionizing compostable bags — not just as containers, but as participants in the decomposition process.
“We want to find applications where this interaction with the environment is not a hindrance but maybe even an advantage,” says Gustav Nyström, head of the Cellulose and Wood Materials lab at EMPA.
The researchers are already envisioning next steps. They aim to tailor material properties by adjusting growth conditions, selecting other fungal strains, or combining this living composite with their fungal battery and paper battery technologies. One project involves designing a compact, biodegradable battery where the electrodes are made from this living “fungal paper.”
Still, as with any living material, challenges remain. The fungal films react to environmental factors like humidity, and ensuring stability across various conditions will be key to future applications. Yet for EMPA’s team, the blend of natural intelligence and engineered design holds huge promise.
“Nature has already developed an optimized system,” says researcher Ashutosh Sinha. “We just gave it a gentle nudge.”
This mushroom-based material may one day help us reduce plastic pollution, stabilize food and cosmetic products, power sustainable electronics — and even eat the bag our salad came in. It’s not science fiction. It’s science, alive and thriving.
Source: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA)
