Alternative to plastics?

This is what a fungus really looks like

Like most people, I start my day by browsing news sites. After looking through headlines for top stories and confirming that our planet is still more or less in one piece, I go on to see if there's anything new happening in the world of fungi. I usually find stuff in the category of nature news, sometimes in the category of crime news, and occasionally under weird news. My favourite items though are on innovation and technology. I love learning about the possible ways in which fungi can change the world, and one such piece was published just yesterday.

Many people think of fungi in terms of their fruitbodies, forgetting that the most important and persistent part of the organism is the mycelium, or hyphae, that live in the substrate under our feet. Mycelium itself can be edible, so it is rather unjustly ignored. However, the article in question brings out a different use for it, namely, as an insulation and packaging material. Apparently, it's cheap to produce, it's less toxic, more vapour-permeable, fire-resistant (as shown on CSI New York) and very, very eco-friendly. It is manufactured by a company called Ecovative Design and they claim that it provides a viable alternative to structural insulated panels made with plastic foams.

Town of the future: a typical street

It looks like there are still issues that need to be resolved before people start routinely insulating their houses with fungi (most notably, how do you prevent them from getting wet and turning into rot?), but it's certainly a development that has potential. Who knows, maybe in 10-20 years all new builds will be Ecovative's "Mushroom houses". I personally can't wait for that to happen.

The full article can be found on the Earth Techling site.

Image credits:
Hyphae as seen under an overturned log
Smurfs decoration