Mushroom Materials, a revolution for Real Sustainability in Product Design

Europe's major socio-economic policies and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) now show a strong concern for environmental care, pushing us towards more responsible consumption, with a lower carbon footprint and greater social responsibility.

In a world increasingly aware of sustainability and responsible consumption, advances in the use of biomaterials are marking a new era in the industry. Growing concerns about the carbon footprint and social responsibility of products have driven European socio-economic policies aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Within this framework, the incorporation of materials, especially those derived from non-petroleum sources, are presented as a key solution in the industry. Research in biomaterials continues to advance to explore new markets more efficiently, with mycelium-derived biomaterials, known as Micomaterials, being a unique opportunity for the future of sustainability, thanks to their abundance, versatility and regenerability.

Under these premises, the researchers of the Integral Regenerative Design Group (DESIRe), Elsa Gil Benito, Montserrat Pichel Martínez and María Beltrán Rodríguez, from the University of Design, Innovation and Technology, UDIT, have published the impact article "Mycodesign: A new collaboration between mycomaterials and product design as a way to promote material identity", in the prestigious journal The Design Journal, (Q2 in JCR).

Realising that the use of new materials requires new methodologies, the researchers have developed their own methodology under a practical case: Mycelium for Design (M4D). The objectives of this methodology are to evaluate the potential of mycocomposites (mycelium-based materials, MBCs) in product design, presenting the advantages and disadvantages in design and, in this way, promoting the incorporation of natural materials under an organic appearance.

The M4D methodology defines the design process and the link with the material in the search for new geometries and aesthetics. In this sense, the results verify its suitability, demonstrating its capacity for material optimisation and adaptation to different working premises. The main findings include efficiency in the manufacture of mycelium modules, allowing stable and reproducible structures, as well as the importance of bioassembly (joining of parts by the material itself) in structural viability.

The results provide communication strategies in the culture of biomaterials and raise new questions about the interaction and aesthetic acceptance of mycomaterials.

The article can be visited at: Mycodesign: A new collaboration between mycomaterials and product design as a way to promote material identity.

More information about the project: https://udit.es/erratum-micodiseno/