Mycelium-bound composite MBC
Fungal mycelium (hyphal network of a basidiomycete such as Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus or Ganoderma lucidum) grown through an agricultural-waste substrate such as hemp, flax, straw, sugarcane bagasse or wheat grain
A mycelium composite is agricultural fibre (straw, hemp, flax, sugarcane bagasse and similar) bound into a solid block by fungal hyphae, then heat-killed so the material is inert.
Evidence level
2 of 5
Lab-measured
- 0Predicted only. No one has made it, or no measurement exists.
- 1Calculated. Only calculated or predicted values from sources.
- 2Lab-measured. Measured properties with their conditions stated.
- 3Space-relevant tests. Measured in conditions relevant to space, such as vacuum or atomic oxygen.
- 4Ground-qualified. Qualified for an application on the ground.
- 5Flown or field-proven. Flight or field results exist.
Insulation
0.0404 W/(m K)
Compression
0.25 MPa
Low density
99 kg/m3
Recipe, share of the weight
- atoms not applicableAgricultural fibre substrate
- atoms not applicableFungus (basidiomycete)
- atoms not applicableWater and nutrients
- atoms not applicableHeat and drying step
Best for
Lightweight, low-conductivity interior panels and insulation grown from local waste, where low load and low mass matter more than strength
Weakest at
Strength and moisture resistance: compressive strength is in the kPa to sub-MPa range, and water uptake of 24 to 57 percent is reported after soaking
Risk at a glance
- People None found. Not assessed from a primary safety source
- If it fails Moderate. Fuel load in a fire
- Corrosion Moderate. Humid heat changed the surface and cut the hardness of the fibre layer.
Quick facts: MBC
| Property | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 0.06 to 0.32 g/cm³ | 6 sourced values across conditions |
| Tensile strength | 0.42 MPa | 1 sourced value |
| Young's modulus | 0.00051 to 0.0012 GPa | 2 sourced values across conditions |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.04 to 0.085 W/(m·K) | 6 sourced values across conditions |
| Specific heat | 1,714 J/(kg·K) | 1 sourced value |
What is the density of Mycelium-bound composite (MBC)?
Mycelium-bound composite (MBC) has a density of 0.06 to 0.32 g/cm³. The range covers 6 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is the thermal conductivity of Mycelium-bound composite (MBC)?
Mycelium-bound composite (MBC) has a thermal conductivity of 0.04 to 0.085 W/(m·K). The range covers 6 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is the tensile strength of Mycelium-bound composite (MBC)?
Mycelium-bound composite (MBC) has a tensile strength of 0.42 MPa. The source and test conditions are listed in the properties table on this page.
What is the Young's modulus of Mycelium-bound composite (MBC)?
Mycelium-bound composite (MBC) has a Young's modulus of 0.00051 to 0.0012 GPa. The range covers 2 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is Mycelium-bound composite (MBC) used for?
Uses recorded in the sources include Insulation panel from grown mycelium composite; Habitat structures for the Moon and Mars, grown in place.
Why it exists
Mycelium composites are grown rather than manufactured. Hyphae from a fungus bind a farm-waste substrate into a light block, which is then dried or baked. The appeal for space is that the raw material can be local, and the process needs water, warmth and time rather than energy-heavy manufacture. NASA Ames has proposed this route for habitats on the Moon and Mars. The material is still at the laboratory stage.
Where it's used
Insulation panels
Lab measurements put the thermal conductivity of several grown composites between about 0.04 and 0.085 W/m K, which is in the range of insulation materials. Jimenez-Obando et al. describe their Ganoderma material as an insulating material.
Habitat concepts for the Moon and Mars
NASA Ames (Rothschild and team) proposed growing habitat structures in place from fungal composites on the Moon and Mars. The Phase II report describes a prototype that fills a porous scaffold with mycelia and tests it in a planetary simulator. The work is a concept study, not a flight demonstration.
Emergency housing and furniture on Earth
The NASA Phase II report says the approach could also be used for terrestrial emergency housing and furniture. This is a suggestion in the report, not a tested product.
Recipe
Fungal mycelium (hyphal network of a basidiomycete such as Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus or Ganoderma lucidum) grown through an agricultural-waste substrate such as hemp, flax, straw, sugarcane bagasse or wheat grain
A fungal mycelium grows through a moist agricultural substrate in a mould, is dried or baked, and forms a solid block. Substrate and fungus can be varied; process details below come from the cited papers.
| Ingredient | Share of the weight | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural fibre substrate | atoms not applicable | Provides the cellulose and lignin feedstock the hyphae grow through. Examples in the sources: hemp, flax, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, Arboloco pith with kikuyu grass, wheat grain, walnut shells, rice hulls. |
| Fungus (basidiomycete) | atoms not applicable | Hyphae bind the substrate particles into a network. Species used in these sources: Trametes versicolor (Elsacker 2019, Jones 2018), Pleurotus ostreatus (Waskar 2026, NASA Phase II), Ganoderma lucidum (Jimenez-Obando 2025, NASA Phase II). |
| Water and nutrients | atoms not applicable | The Jones et al. recipe adds 48 h soaking of wheat grain, autoclaving, then 25 wt% inoculum. The NASA Phase II work uses spawn with sand or regolith and a water and nutrient mix. |
| Heat and drying step | atoms not applicable | Jones et al. dry the grown material at 50 degC for 48 h. In NASA Phase II, some specimens were compressed and baked at a higher temperature. The purpose is to stop growth and stabilise the material. |
Weight shares are as printed in the sources.
What it can do
Insulation
0.0404 W/(m K)
measured
Grown composites measured 0.0404 to 0.0578 W/m K in one controlled study of hemp, flax and straw, with a Ganoderma formulation at 0.047 W/m K. These are lab samples at small scale.
Compression
0.25 MPa
measured
Compressive strengths in the sources run from about 1 kPa to 0.44 MPa. Compacting the material raised strength in the NASA tests, and a 30-day growth period gave the highest ultimate compressive strength.
Low density
99 kg/m3
measured
Densities of 60 to 320 kg/m3 were measured. That is light enough to be handled by hand at block scale.
How it compares
Mycelium composites sit at the light, insulating and low-strength end of the building materials. Their conductivity is in the same range as many insulation products, but their compressive strength is far below structural materials, and their water uptake is high in the lab. Few direct comparisons with fibreglass or foams exist in the sources read, so the table compares only the properties the sources report consistently.
The same measurements for each material, so you can compare them. Each row names the key condition under the value; the full conditions and methods are in the numbered notes under Technical details.
| Measurement | MBC |
|---|---|
| Thermal behavior and safety | |
| Thermal conductivity, mycelium-hemp composite (chopped)Measured value in Table 3 | 0.0404 W/(m K)15 |
| Thermal conductivity, mycelium-flax composite (chopped)Measured value in Table 3 | 0.0578 W/(m K)16 |
| Thermal conductivity, mycelium-straw composite (chopped)Measured value in Table 3 | 0.0419 W/(m K)17 |
| Thermal conductivity, Ganoderma F1 and F2 average | 0.047 W/(m K)18 |
| Thermal conductivity, P. ostreatus on bagasse with wheat bran | 0.078 to 0.085 W/(m K)19 |
| Thermal conductivity, pooled mean across 35 studiesPooled value stated in the record abstract | 0.042 W/(m K)20 |
| Specific heat capacity, Ganoderma F1 and F2 average | 1714 J/(kg K)21 |
| Peak heat release rate, mycelium-wheat grain composite, day 0Value in text of the Cone Calorimetry section | 200 kW/m227 |
| Peak heat release rate, mycelium-wheat grain composite, 6 to 18 daysValue in text of the Cone Calorimetry section | 180 kW/m228 |
| Physical and electrical | |
| Dry density, mycelium-hemp composite (chopped hemp) | 99 kg/m31 |
| Dry density, mycelium-flax composite (chopped flax) | 135 kg/m32 |
| Dry density, mycelium-straw composite (chopped straw) | 94 kg/m33 |
| Density, Ganoderma lucidum formulation F2 (30% Arboloco pith, 70% kikuyu grass) | 60.4 kg/m34 |
| Density of mycelium blocks from sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran | 0.2 to 0.32 g/cm³5 |
| Dry density of aged mycelium composite (control, hemp hurds)Table 5, density by condition | 0.14 g/cm³6 |
| Other measurements | |
| Maximum compressive strength, P. ostreatus on bagasse with wheat bran | 0.25 MPa7 |
| Compressive strength at 50 percent deformation, Ganoderma F2 | 0.1686 MPa8 |
| Mean compressive strength across 35 studies (pooled)Pooled mean stated in the record abstract | 0.44 MPa9 |
| Compressive strength range across mycelium composites (thesis)Range stated in the thesis abstract | 0.001 to 1.1 MPa10 |
| Flexural strength, mycelium block (P. ostreatus on bagasse) | 0.85 MPa11 |
| Tensile strength, mycelium block (P. ostreatus on bagasse) | 0.42 MPa12 |
| Compressive Young's modulus, loose hemp (uncompressed) | 0.51 MPa13 |
| Compressive Young's modulus, chopped flaxStated in the text of the Results section | 1.18 MPa14 |
| Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped hemp compositeTable 4 (chopped samples only) | 24.45 %22 |
| Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped flax compositeTable 4 (chopped samples only) | 30.28 %23 |
| Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped straw compositeTable 4 (chopped samples only) | 26.78 %24 |
| Water absorption, Ganoderma F2 | 56.6 %25 |
| Shrinkage during drying (maximum across formulations) | 53.6 %26 |
| Char yield, mycelium-wheat grain composite (PCFC)Table 2 | 23 wt%29 |
Why choose it, and why not
Good for
- Insulation and interior panels. Measured thermal conductivity of 0.0404 to 0.0578 W/m K for several grown composites.
- Using farm waste as the feedstock. The NASA Phase II report and the sources describe this as the main attraction.
Watch out for
- Low strength. Compressive strengths run from about 1 kPa to 0.44 MPa in the sources.
- Water uptake. The lab recorded 24 to 30 percent after 24 hours of soaking, and 56.6 percent for one Ganoderma formulation.
- Shrinkage. One formulation shrank by up to 53.6 percent during drying.
- Data are sparse and from lab samples, with different fungi, substrates and test methods.
Promising for low-load insulation and as a long-term habitat concept, but the evidence is early, mostly small lab samples, and the moisture and strength gaps are real.
Technical details
For scientists and researchers. Everything above comes from the record below: every number with its method, its conditions and its source.
Notes
The method, full conditions and any caveat for the numbered rows above.
| # | Measurement | Method | Conditions | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dry density, mycelium-hemp composite (chopped hemp) | Dry density of grown composite, reported in Table 3 | substrate chopped hempfungus Trametes versicolorgrade lab sample; growth time not stated in extracted text | — |
| 2 | Dry density, mycelium-flax composite (chopped flax) | Dry density of grown composite, reported in Table 3 | substrate chopped flaxfungus Trametes versicolorgrade lab sample | — |
| 3 | Dry density, mycelium-straw composite (chopped straw) | Dry density of grown composite, reported in Table 3 | substrate chopped wheat strawfungus Trametes versicolorgrade lab sample | — |
| 4 | Density, Ganoderma lucidum formulation F2 (30% Arboloco pith, 70% kikuyu grass) | Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper | substrate Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibrefungus Ganoderma lucidumformulation F2uncertainty plus or minus 4.5 kg/m3 | — |
| 5 | Density of mycelium blocks from sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran | Range stated in the abstract of a 2026 journal article | substrate sugarcane bagasse fibres (1 to 5 mm) with 5 to 10 wt% wheat branfungus Pleurotus ostreatus | — |
| 6 | Dry density of aged mycelium composite (control, hemp hurds) | — | substrate hemp hurds (per supplier)fungus undisclosed straincondition control before simulated weathering | — |
| 7 | Maximum compressive strength, P. ostreatus on bagasse with wheat bran | Maximum value reported in the abstract of a 2026 journal article | substrate sugarcane bagasse with 5 to 10 wt% wheat branfungus Pleurotus ostreatustest not stated in abstract | — |
| 8 | Compressive strength at 50 percent deformation, Ganoderma F2 | Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper | substrate Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre (F2)fungus Ganoderma lucidumdeformation 50% | — |
| 9 | Mean compressive strength across 35 studies (pooled) | — | basis pooled mean from a systematic review and meta-analysisfungi and substrates mixed | Second-hand pooled figure from a 2026 journal article in a journal we could not verify as peer-reviewed; treat as indicative only. |
| 10 | Compressive strength range across mycelium composites (thesis) | — | basis range stated in a 2020 honours thesis abstract (printed as 1kPa to 1.1MPa)substrates walnut shells, rice hulls, commercial Ecovative mix | Undergraduate thesis abstract; the full thesis was not read, so the specimen types behind the range are unknown. |
| 11 | Flexural strength, mycelium block (P. ostreatus on bagasse) | Reported in the abstract of a 2026 journal article | substrate sugarcane bagasse fibres with wheat branfungus Pleurotus ostreatus | — |
| 12 | Tensile strength, mycelium block (P. ostreatus on bagasse) | Reported in the abstract of a 2026 journal article | substrate sugarcane bagasse fibres with wheat branfungus Pleurotus ostreatus | — |
| 13 | Compressive Young's modulus, loose hemp (uncompressed) | Stated in the text of the Results section (paper calls it compressive stiffness) | substrate loose hempfungus Trametes versicolortest compression | — |
| 14 | Compressive Young's modulus, chopped flax | — | substrate chopped flaxfungus Trametes versicolortest compression | — |
| 15 | Thermal conductivity, mycelium-hemp composite (chopped) | — | substrate chopped hempfungus Trametes versicoloruncertainty plus or minus 0.001 | — |
| 16 | Thermal conductivity, mycelium-flax composite (chopped) | — | substrate chopped flaxfungus Trametes versicoloruncertainty plus or minus 0.002 | — |
| 17 | Thermal conductivity, mycelium-straw composite (chopped) | — | substrate chopped wheat strawfungus Trametes versicoloruncertainty plus or minus 0.0002 | — |
| 18 | Thermal conductivity, Ganoderma F1 and F2 average | Average reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper | substrate Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibrefungus Ganoderma lucidumuncertainty plus or minus 0.002 | — |
| 19 | Thermal conductivity, P. ostreatus on bagasse with wheat bran | Range stated in the abstract of a 2026 journal article | substrate sugarcane bagasse with wheat branfungus Pleurotus ostreatus | — |
| 20 | Thermal conductivity, pooled mean across 35 studies | — | basis pooled from a systematic review and meta-analysis | Second-hand pooled figure; see the compressive strength entry for the caveat about this source. |
| 21 | Specific heat capacity, Ganoderma F1 and F2 average | Average reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper | substrate Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibrefungus Ganoderma lucidumuncertainty plus or minus 105 | — |
| 22 | Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped hemp composite | — | substrate chopped hempfungus Trametes versicolortest immersion for 24 hsorptivity 0.0073 mm/s^1/2 | — |
| 23 | Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped flax composite | — | substrate chopped flaxfungus Trametes versicolortest immersion for 24 hsorptivity 0.0113 mm/s^1/2 | — |
| 24 | Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped straw composite | — | substrate chopped wheat strawfungus Trametes versicolortest immersion for 24 hsorptivity 0.0147 mm/s^1/2 | — |
| 25 | Water absorption, Ganoderma F2 | Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper | substrate Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre (F2)fungus Ganoderma lucidumuncertainty plus or minus 18.4 | — |
| 26 | Shrinkage during drying (maximum across formulations) | Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper | substrate Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibrefungus Ganoderma lucidumbasis up to, across formulations | — |
| 27 | Peak heat release rate, mycelium-wheat grain composite, day 0 | — | test cone calorimetry (ISO 5660), 50 kW/m2 heat fluxsubstrate wheat grainsfungus Trametes versicolorincubation 0 days | — |
| 28 | Peak heat release rate, mycelium-wheat grain composite, 6 to 18 days | — | test cone calorimetry (ISO 5660), 50 kW/m2 heat fluxsubstrate wheat grainsfungus Trametes versicolorincubation 6, 12 and 18 days | — |
| 29 | Char yield, mycelium-wheat grain composite (PCFC) | — | test pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry (ASTM D7309)substrate wheat grainsfungus Trametes versicoloruncertainty plus or minus 1 | — |
Corrosion and compatibility
What happens when it meets other materials and environments.
| Environment | Concern | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Hot and humid conditions, 7 days at 50 degC in a humidity chamber (hot-humid) | moderate | Humid heat changed the surface and cut the hardness of the fibre layer.1 |
| Cold and humid conditions, 7 days at -19 degC sealed in plastic and foil (cold-humid) | moderate | Cold, humid exposure gave the largest moisture uptake and the largest hardness loss.2 |
| Cold dry, 7 days at -19 degC (cold-dry) and hot dry, 7 days at 50 degC (hot-dry) | low | Heat degraded the substrate; thermal stability fell under hot-dry exposure.3 |
| Biological contamination during growth (lab, not an in-service test) | low | Some fibre types grew slowly and were overrun by contaminants during growth.4 |
| # | Environment | Details | Test conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hot and humid conditions, 7 days at 50 degC in a humidity chamber (hot-humid) | The mycelium layer became darker and thinner with an uneven coating, and SEM showed cracking of the cellulose substrate. Shore D hardness fell from 9.7 (control) to 7.2 under hot-humid conditions. | exposure 7 days at 50 °C with a salt-bath humidity sourcematerial commercially available mycelium biocomposite on a hemp substratetest Shore D hardness and SEM after exposure |
| 2 | Cold and humid conditions, 7 days at -19 degC sealed in plastic and foil (cold-humid) | The authors report significant moisture absorption with low temperature and humidity, and hardness nearly halved, to 4.8 Shore D. Impact strength of the whole block was unchanged. Cold-humid was the only condition without SEM cracking of the cellulose. | exposure 7 days at -19 °C, sealed in plastic wrap and foilmaterial commercially available mycelium biocomposite on a hemp substrate |
| 3 | Cold dry, 7 days at -19 degC (cold-dry) and hot dry, 7 days at 50 degC (hot-dry) | All conditions except cold-humid showed cracking or other damage to the cellulose substrate. Under hot-dry exposure the onset of thermal degradation of the brown substrate fell by nearly 20 degC. | exposure 7 days at -19 °C or 50 °C, drymaterial commercially available mycelium biocomposite on a hemp substrate |
| 4 | Biological contamination during growth (lab, not an in-service test) | Trametes versicolor grew poorly on flax dust, straw dust, pine softwood and straw after 10 days. Flax dust and straw dust showed slow growth and systematic contamination, so those samples were not tested further. The fibres were autoclaved at 121 degC for 20 minutes before inoculation. | exposure inoculation and growth, lab scalematerial Trametes versicolor on several agricultural fibres |
Risks and side effects
Hazards to people, what happens when a cell overheats, and how the material is handled and stored.
For people
The hazard profile for people is not established in the sources read. No safety data sheet, spore or allergen study was checked in this run.
- Spores and dust
- Fungal spores and dust from grown or cut material have not been assessed here. Treat as unknown until a source is read.
- In a fire
- Mycelium composites burn and can add fuel to a fire. Char formation lowered peak heat release in one lab test, but the authors say fuel-load effects are not quantified.
Handling and storage
- Moisture
- Humid conditions gave the largest moisture uptake and hardness loss in the weathering study. Keep the material dry in service.
Test details
The original wording and numbers from the sources, for readers who want them.
Failure risks
| Failure | Trigger and consequence |
|---|---|
| Fuel load in a firemoderate severity | Fire exposure of mycelium compositeThe authors state that large quantities of organic matter can act as a fuel source and may escalate fire risk, but say these effects have not been quantified. Char formation reduced peak heat release in the lab test. |
| Moisture and swellingmoderate severity | Hot and humid exposure over a simulated weathering cycleHumid conditions gave the largest moisture uptake and the largest hardness drop in the white fibres (hardness fell from 9.7 to 7.2 in hot-humid and to 4.8 in cold-humid, Shore D). |
Mitigations
- Jones et al. dried the grown material at 50 degC for 48 h after incubation. Heat-killing and its effect on growth were not separately verified in the sources read.
Supply and geography
How common the raw materials are and where they come from.
Agricultural by-product fibres (flax, hemp, wheat straw, flax waste, pine softwood shavings)
- Top producers
- Belgium, Belgium
Fungal inoculum (Trametes versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus)
- Top producers
- not stated
Mycelium composite materials (commercial)
- Top producers
- United States
Documents
Datasheets, safety data sheets, papers and standards you can open.
Full record
The complete spore, as stored. Free to reuse under CC-BY-4.0. Images keep the licence shown with each one.
Show the full YAML
spore: profile
id: mycelium-composite
spore_version: 0.2
family: mycelium
name: Mycelium-bound composite
abbreviation: MBC
role: building insulation and habitat panel material
category: living
type: bio-grown-building-materials
summary: |
A mycelium composite is agricultural fibre (straw, hemp, flax, sugarcane bagasse and similar) bound into a solid block by fungal hyphae, then heat-killed so the material is inert. Lab papers report densities of about 60 to 320 kg/m3 and thermal conductivities of about 0.04 to 0.085 W/m K, which is insulation-grade. Compressive strengths range from about 1 kPa to 0.44 MPa across studies, and flexural strength reported so far is 0.85 MPa. NASA Ames has proposed growing habitat structures on the Moon and Mars from this material, but every value here comes from ground lab samples. The field is young and the data are sparse.
best_for: Lightweight, low-conductivity interior panels and insulation grown from local waste, where low load and low mass matter more than strength
weakest_at: 'Strength and moisture resistance: compressive strength is in the kPa to sub-MPa range, and water uptake of 24 to 57 percent is reported after soaking'
identity:
formula: Fungal mycelium (hyphal network of a basidiomycete such as Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus or Ganoderma lucidum) grown through an agricultural-waste substrate such as hemp, flax, straw, sugarcane bagasse or wheat grain
source: elsacker2019
where: Introduction and Table 1 (substrates and fungal species); Waskar 2026 abstract (P. ostreatus on bagasse); Jones 2018 Methods (T. versicolor on wheat grain)
tags:
environments:
- lunar-day
- mars-surface
stresses: []
applications:
- thermal-control
- habitats-and-suits
properties:
- benchmark: density
label: Dry density, mycelium-hemp composite (chopped hemp)
value: 99
unit: kg/m3
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped hemp
fungus: Trametes versicolor
grade: lab sample; growth time not stated in extracted text
method: Dry density of grown composite, reported in Table 3
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 3 (composite densities)
- benchmark: density
label: Dry density, mycelium-flax composite (chopped flax)
value: 135
unit: kg/m3
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped flax
fungus: Trametes versicolor
grade: lab sample
method: Dry density of grown composite, reported in Table 3
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 3 (composite densities)
- benchmark: density
label: Dry density, mycelium-straw composite (chopped straw)
value: 94
unit: kg/m3
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped wheat straw
fungus: Trametes versicolor
grade: lab sample
method: Dry density of grown composite, reported in Table 3
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 3 (composite densities)
- benchmark: density
label: Density, Ganoderma lucidum formulation F2 (30% Arboloco pith, 70% kikuyu grass)
value: 60.4
unit: kg/m3
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre
fungus: Ganoderma lucidum
formulation: F2
uncertainty: plus or minus 4.5 kg/m3
method: Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper
status: ground
source: jimenez2025
where: Abstract
- benchmark: density
label: Density of mycelium blocks from sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran
value: 0.2
value_high: 0.32
bound: range
unit: g/cm3
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: sugarcane bagasse fibres (1 to 5 mm) with 5 to 10 wt% wheat bran
fungus: Pleurotus ostreatus
method: Range stated in the abstract of a 2026 journal article
status: ground
source: waskar2026
where: Abstract
- benchmark: density
label: Dry density of aged mycelium composite (control, hemp hurds)
value: 0.14
unit: g/cm3
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: hemp hurds (per supplier)
fungus: undisclosed strain
condition: control before simulated weathering
method: Table 5, density by condition
status: ground
source: schultz2024
where: Table 5 (control row)
- benchmark: compressive_strength
label: Maximum compressive strength, P. ostreatus on bagasse with wheat bran
value: 0.25
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: sugarcane bagasse with 5 to 10 wt% wheat bran
fungus: Pleurotus ostreatus
test: not stated in abstract
method: Maximum value reported in the abstract of a 2026 journal article
status: ground
source: waskar2026
where: Abstract
- benchmark: compressive_strength
label: Compressive strength at 50 percent deformation, Ganoderma F2
value: 0.1686
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre (F2)
fungus: Ganoderma lucidum
deformation: 50%
method: Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper
status: ground
source: jimenez2025
where: Abstract
- benchmark: compressive_strength
label: Mean compressive strength across 35 studies (pooled)
value: 0.44
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
basis: pooled mean from a systematic review and meta-analysis
fungi_and_substrates: mixed
method: Pooled mean stated in the record abstract
status: ground
note: Second-hand pooled figure from a 2026 journal article in a journal we could not verify as peer-reviewed; treat as indicative only.
source: afridi2026
where: Abstract
- benchmark: compressive_strength
label: Compressive strength range across mycelium composites (thesis)
value: 0.001
value_high: 1.1
bound: range
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
basis: range stated in a 2020 honours thesis abstract (printed as 1kPa to 1.1MPa)
substrates: walnut shells, rice hulls, commercial Ecovative mix
method: Range stated in the thesis abstract
status: ground
note: Undergraduate thesis abstract; the full thesis was not read, so the specimen types behind the range are unknown.
source: yang2020
where: Abstract
- benchmark: flexural_strength
label: Flexural strength, mycelium block (P. ostreatus on bagasse)
value: 0.85
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: sugarcane bagasse fibres with wheat bran
fungus: Pleurotus ostreatus
method: Reported in the abstract of a 2026 journal article
status: ground
source: waskar2026
where: Abstract
- benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
label: Tensile strength, mycelium block (P. ostreatus on bagasse)
value: 0.42
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: sugarcane bagasse fibres with wheat bran
fungus: Pleurotus ostreatus
method: Reported in the abstract of a 2026 journal article
status: ground
source: waskar2026
where: Abstract
- benchmark: elastic_modulus
label: Compressive Young's modulus, loose hemp (uncompressed)
value: 0.51
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: loose hemp
fungus: Trametes versicolor
test: compression
method: Stated in the text of the Results section (paper calls it compressive stiffness)
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Results, Mechanical behaviour (text)
- benchmark: elastic_modulus
label: Compressive Young's modulus, chopped flax
value: 1.18
unit: MPa
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped flax
fungus: Trametes versicolor
test: compression
method: Stated in the text of the Results section
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Results, Mechanical behaviour (text)
- benchmark: thermal_conductivity
label: Thermal conductivity, mycelium-hemp composite (chopped)
value: 0.0404
unit: W/(m K)
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped hemp
fungus: Trametes versicolor
uncertainty: plus or minus 0.001
method: Measured value in Table 3
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 3
- benchmark: thermal_conductivity
label: Thermal conductivity, mycelium-flax composite (chopped)
value: 0.0578
unit: W/(m K)
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped flax
fungus: Trametes versicolor
uncertainty: plus or minus 0.002
method: Measured value in Table 3
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 3
- benchmark: thermal_conductivity
label: Thermal conductivity, mycelium-straw composite (chopped)
value: 0.0419
unit: W/(m K)
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped wheat straw
fungus: Trametes versicolor
uncertainty: plus or minus 0.0002
method: Measured value in Table 3
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 3
- benchmark: thermal_conductivity
label: Thermal conductivity, Ganoderma F1 and F2 average
value: 0.047
unit: W/(m K)
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre
fungus: Ganoderma lucidum
uncertainty: plus or minus 0.002
method: Average reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper
status: ground
source: jimenez2025
where: Abstract
- benchmark: thermal_conductivity
label: Thermal conductivity, P. ostreatus on bagasse with wheat bran
value: 0.078
value_high: 0.085
bound: range
unit: W/(m K)
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: sugarcane bagasse with wheat bran
fungus: Pleurotus ostreatus
method: Range stated in the abstract of a 2026 journal article
status: ground
source: waskar2026
where: Abstract
- benchmark: thermal_conductivity
label: Thermal conductivity, pooled mean across 35 studies
value: 0.042
unit: W/(m K)
scope: material
conditions:
basis: pooled from a systematic review and meta-analysis
method: Pooled value stated in the record abstract
status: ground
note: Second-hand pooled figure; see the compressive strength entry for the caveat about this source.
source: afridi2026
where: Abstract
- benchmark: specific_heat
label: Specific heat capacity, Ganoderma F1 and F2 average
value: 1714
unit: J/(kg K)
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre
fungus: Ganoderma lucidum
uncertainty: plus or minus 105
method: Average reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper
status: ground
source: jimenez2025
where: Abstract
- benchmark: moisture_absorption
label: Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped hemp composite
value: 24.45
unit: '%'
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped hemp
fungus: Trametes versicolor
test: immersion for 24 h
sorptivity: 0.0073 mm/s^1/2
method: Table 4 (chopped samples only)
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 4
- benchmark: moisture_absorption
label: Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped flax composite
value: 30.28
unit: '%'
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped flax
fungus: Trametes versicolor
test: immersion for 24 h
sorptivity: 0.0113 mm/s^1/2
method: Table 4 (chopped samples only)
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 4
- benchmark: moisture_absorption
label: Water absorbed after 24 h immersion, chopped straw composite
value: 26.78
unit: '%'
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: chopped wheat straw
fungus: Trametes versicolor
test: immersion for 24 h
sorptivity: 0.0147 mm/s^1/2
method: Table 4 (chopped samples only)
status: ground
source: elsacker2019
where: Table 4
- benchmark: moisture_absorption
label: Water absorption, Ganoderma F2
value: 56.6
unit: '%'
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre (F2)
fungus: Ganoderma lucidum
uncertainty: plus or minus 18.4
method: Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper
status: ground
source: jimenez2025
where: Abstract
- benchmark: shrinkage
label: Shrinkage during drying (maximum across formulations)
value: 53.6
unit: '%'
scope: material
conditions:
substrate: Arboloco pith and kikuyu grass fibre
fungus: Ganoderma lucidum
basis: up to, across formulations
method: Reported in the abstract of a 2025 open-access paper
status: ground
source: jimenez2025
where: Abstract
- benchmark: peak_heat_release_rate
label: Peak heat release rate, mycelium-wheat grain composite, day 0
value: 200
unit: kW/m2
scope: material
conditions:
test: cone calorimetry (ISO 5660), 50 kW/m2 heat flux
substrate: wheat grains
fungus: Trametes versicolor
incubation: 0 days
method: Value in text of the Cone Calorimetry section
status: ground
source: jones2018
where: Cone calorimetry section (text)
- benchmark: peak_heat_release_rate
label: Peak heat release rate, mycelium-wheat grain composite, 6 to 18 days
value: 180
unit: kW/m2
scope: material
conditions:
test: cone calorimetry (ISO 5660), 50 kW/m2 heat flux
substrate: wheat grains
fungus: Trametes versicolor
incubation: 6, 12 and 18 days
method: Value in text of the Cone Calorimetry section
status: ground
source: jones2018
where: Cone calorimetry section (text)
- benchmark: char_yield
label: Char yield, mycelium-wheat grain composite (PCFC)
value: 23
unit: wt%
scope: material
conditions:
test: pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry (ASTM D7309)
substrate: wheat grains
fungus: Trametes versicolor
uncertainty: plus or minus 1
method: Table 2
status: ground
source: jones2018
where: Table 2; Results (TGA gives 23 plus or minus 0.6 wt% at 600 degC)
risks:
hazards:
- text: Jones et al. report that mycelium is less prone to ignition and flaming than PMMA or PLA. Peak heat release rate in pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry was 67 W/g, against 446 W/g for PMMA and 375 W/g for PLA, and char yield was 23 wt%. The time to ignition is not given as a number.
ghs: []
source: jones2018
where: Results, pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry (text and Table 2)
failure_risks:
- mode: Fuel load in a fire
trigger: Fire exposure of mycelium composite
consequence: The authors state that large quantities of organic matter can act as a fuel source and may escalate fire risk, but say these effects have not been quantified. Char formation reduced peak heat release in the lab test.
severity: moderate
source: jones2018
where: Discussion (fuel-load statement)
- mode: Moisture and swelling
trigger: Hot and humid exposure over a simulated weathering cycle
consequence: Humid conditions gave the largest moisture uptake and the largest hardness drop in the white fibres (hardness fell from 9.7 to 7.2 in hot-humid and to 4.8 in cold-humid, Shore D).
severity: moderate
source: schultz2024
where: Table 5; Results (weathering)
side_effects: []
handling: []
mitigations:
- text: Jones et al. dried the grown material at 50 degC for 48 h after incubation. Heat-killing and its effect on growth were not separately verified in the sources read.
source: jones2018
where: Methods (incubation and drying)
story:
recipe:
line: A fungal mycelium grows through a moist agricultural substrate in a mould, is dried or baked, and forms a solid block. Substrate and fungus can be varied; process details below come from the cited papers.
parts:
- name: Agricultural fibre substrate
share: bulk of the material
role: 'Provides the cellulose and lignin feedstock the hyphae grow through. Examples in the sources: hemp, flax, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, Arboloco pith with kikuyu grass, wheat grain, walnut shells, rice hulls.'
share_note: atoms not applicable
- name: Fungus (basidiomycete)
share: small, as inoculum
role: 'Hyphae bind the substrate particles into a network. Species used in these sources: Trametes versicolor (Elsacker 2019, Jones 2018), Pleurotus ostreatus (Waskar 2026, NASA Phase II), Ganoderma lucidum (Jimenez-Obando 2025, NASA Phase II).'
share_note: atoms not applicable
- name: Water and nutrients
share: moisture for growth
role: The Jones et al. recipe adds 48 h soaking of wheat grain, autoclaving, then 25 wt% inoculum. The NASA Phase II work uses spawn with sand or regolith and a water and nutrient mix.
share_note: atoms not applicable
- name: Heat and drying step
share: process step
role: Jones et al. dry the grown material at 50 degC for 48 h. In NASA Phase II, some specimens were compressed and baked at a higher temperature. The purpose is to stop growth and stabilise the material.
share_note: atoms not applicable
risk_groups:
- title: For people
level: 0
verdict: Not assessed from a primary safety source
lead: The hazard profile for people is not established in the sources read. No safety data sheet, spore or allergen study was checked in this run.
points:
- label: Spores and dust
line: Fungal spores and dust from grown or cut material have not been assessed here. Treat as unknown until a source is read.
- label: In a fire
line: Mycelium composites burn and can add fuel to a fire. Char formation lowered peak heat release in one lab test, but the authors say fuel-load effects are not quantified.
- title: Handling and storage
points:
- label: Moisture
line: Humid conditions gave the largest moisture uptake and hardness loss in the weathering study. Keep the material dry in service.
why: Mycelium composites are grown rather than manufactured. Hyphae from a fungus bind a farm-waste substrate into a light block, which is then dried or baked. The appeal for space is that the raw material can be local, and the process needs water, warmth and time rather than energy-heavy manufacture. NASA Ames has proposed this route for habitats on the Moon and Mars. The material is still at the laboratory stage.
uses:
- where: Insulation panels
line: Lab measurements put the thermal conductivity of several grown composites between about 0.04 and 0.085 W/m K, which is in the range of insulation materials. Jimenez-Obando et al. describe their Ganoderma material as an insulating material.
- where: Habitat concepts for the Moon and Mars
line: NASA Ames (Rothschild and team) proposed growing habitat structures in place from fungal composites on the Moon and Mars. The Phase II report describes a prototype that fills a porous scaffold with mycelia and tests it in a planetary simulator. The work is a concept study, not a flight demonstration.
- where: Emergency housing and furniture on Earth
line: The NASA Phase II report says the approach could also be used for terrestrial emergency housing and furniture. This is a suggestion in the report, not a tested product.
can_do:
- label: Insulation
benchmark: thermal_conductivity
line: Grown composites measured 0.0404 to 0.0578 W/m K in one controlled study of hemp, flax and straw, with a Ganoderma formulation at 0.047 W/m K. These are lab samples at small scale.
- label: Compression
benchmark: compressive_strength
line: Compressive strengths in the sources run from about 1 kPa to 0.44 MPa. Compacting the material raised strength in the NASA tests, and a 30-day growth period gave the highest ultimate compressive strength.
- label: Low density
benchmark: density
line: Densities of 60 to 320 kg/m3 were measured. That is light enough to be handled by hand at block scale.
compare: Mycelium composites sit at the light, insulating and low-strength end of the building materials. Their conductivity is in the same range as many insulation products, but their compressive strength is far below structural materials, and their water uptake is high in the lab. Few direct comparisons with fibreglass or foams exist in the sources read, so the table compares only the properties the sources report consistently.
compare_rows:
- scope: material
label: Thermal conductivity
benchmark: thermal_conductivity
- scope: material
label: Compressive strength
benchmark: compressive_strength
- scope: material
label: Water absorbed after 24 h
benchmark: moisture_absorption
handling:
- Keep the material dry in service. Moisture is the main recorded weakness.
- No handling or dust guidance from a safety data sheet was read, so treat spore exposure as unknown.
- Mycelium material can burn and add fuel to a fire, though char slows heat release.
good_for:
- Insulation and interior panels. Measured thermal conductivity of 0.0404 to 0.0578 W/m K for several grown composites.
- Using farm waste as the feedstock. The NASA Phase II report and the sources describe this as the main attraction.
watch_out:
- Low strength. Compressive strengths run from about 1 kPa to 0.44 MPa in the sources.
- Water uptake. The lab recorded 24 to 30 percent after 24 hours of soaking, and 56.6 percent for one Ganoderma formulation.
- Shrinkage. One formulation shrank by up to 53.6 percent during drying.
- Data are sparse and from lab samples, with different fungi, substrates and test methods.
verdict: Promising for low-load insulation and as a long-term habitat concept, but the evidence is early, mostly small lab samples, and the moisture and strength gaps are real.
supply:
- subject: Agricultural by-product fibres (flax, hemp, wheat straw, flax waste, pine softwood shavings)
producers:
- name: Jopack bvba
country: Belgium
supplied: flax and wheat straw fibres
- name: Aniserco S.A.
country: Belgium
supplied: hemp fibres and pine softwood shavings
volumes: No volume or price figures were given in the sources read.
source: elsacker2019
where: Materials and methods, Natural fibres (supplier names); Table 1
- subject: Fungal inoculum (Trametes versicolor, Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus)
producers:
- name: Commercial mushroom-spawn supplier named in the Jones 2018 Methods
country: not stated
supplied: T. versicolor inoculum
volumes: Not stated.
source: jones2018
where: Methods, Mycelium Composite Preparation (supplier name truncated in the text read)
- subject: Mycelium composite materials (commercial)
producers:
- name: Ecovative
country: United States
supplied: Its first materials were mycelium composites that bind agricultural byproducts together; the company now grows mycelium sheets for food and materials
volumes: Production figures on the company homepage were still loading when read; no volume is recorded.
source: ecovative-web
where: Homepage, paragraphs on first materials and AirMycelium (read 2026-10-19)
corrosion:
- environment: Hot and humid conditions, 7 days at 50 degC in a humidity chamber (hot-humid)
headline: Humid heat changed the surface and cut the hardness of the fibre layer.
effect: The mycelium layer became darker and thinner with an uneven coating, and SEM showed cracking of the cellulose substrate. Shore D hardness fell from 9.7 (control) to 7.2 under hot-humid conditions.
rating: moderate
conditions:
exposure: 7 days at 50 degC with a salt-bath humidity source
material: commercially available mycelium biocomposite on a hemp substrate
test: Shore D hardness and SEM after exposure
source: schultz2024
where: Table 5 (control and hot-humid rows); Results, appearance and SEM section
- environment: Cold and humid conditions, 7 days at -19 degC sealed in plastic and foil (cold-humid)
headline: Cold, humid exposure gave the largest moisture uptake and the largest hardness loss.
effect: The authors report significant moisture absorption with low temperature and humidity, and hardness nearly halved, to 4.8 Shore D. Impact strength of the whole block was unchanged. Cold-humid was the only condition without SEM cracking of the cellulose.
rating: moderate
conditions:
exposure: 7 days at -19 degC, sealed in plastic wrap and foil
material: commercially available mycelium biocomposite on a hemp substrate
source: schultz2024
where: Abstract; Table 5 (cold-humid row); SEM section (Figure 10)
- environment: Cold dry, 7 days at -19 degC (cold-dry) and hot dry, 7 days at 50 degC (hot-dry)
headline: Heat degraded the substrate; thermal stability fell under hot-dry exposure.
effect: All conditions except cold-humid showed cracking or other damage to the cellulose substrate. Under hot-dry exposure the onset of thermal degradation of the brown substrate fell by nearly 20 degC.
rating: low
conditions:
exposure: 7 days at -19 degC or 50 degC, dry
material: commercially available mycelium biocomposite on a hemp substrate
source: schultz2024
where: SEM section (Figure 10 and text); TGA section (brown component)
- environment: Biological contamination during growth (lab, not an in-service test)
headline: Some fibre types grew slowly and were overrun by contaminants during growth.
effect: Trametes versicolor grew poorly on flax dust, straw dust, pine softwood and straw after 10 days. Flax dust and straw dust showed slow growth and systematic contamination, so those samples were not tested further. The fibres were autoclaved at 121 degC for 20 minutes before inoculation.
rating: low
conditions:
exposure: inoculation and growth, lab scale
material: Trametes versicolor on several agricultural fibres
source: elsacker2019
where: Results, growth observations (text); Materials and methods, autoclaving
uses:
- application: thermal-control
device: Insulation panel from grown mycelium composite
example: Jimenez-Obando et al. (2025) describe a Ganoderma lucidum composite on agricultural waste as an insulating material, with thermal conductivity of 0.047 W/m K.
source: jimenez2025
where: Abstract
- application: habitats-and-suits
device: Habitat structures for the Moon and Mars, grown in place
example: NASA Ames Phase II report describes a prototype that fills a porous scaffold with mycelia, tested in a planetary simulator. It is a concept study, not a flight system.
source: nasa-phase2-2024
where: Sections 4.5 and 4.6; Introduction summary
media: []
documents:
- title: Mycotecture Off Planet, NIAC Phase II Final Report (NTRS 20250001059)
type: report
url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20250001059
year: 2024
- title: Mechanical, physical and chemical characterisation of mycelium-based composites with different types of lignocellulosic substrates (PLoS ONE)
type: paper
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6645453/
year: 2019
- title: Thermal Degradation and Fire Properties of Fungal Mycelium and Mycelium-Biomass Composite Materials (Scientific Reports)
type: paper
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6279784
year: 2018
- title: Characterization of Mycelium Biocomposites under Simulated Weathering Conditions (ACS Applied Bio Materials)
type: paper
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11653254
year: 2024
gaps:
- 'Supply volumes and prices: no source read gives agricultural-waste volumes or mycelium composite prices. Ecovative homepage production figures were still loading when read. Feedstock suppliers are named (Elsacker 2019) but without volumes.'
- No spore, allergen or safety data sheet was read. A web search for basidiomycete spore allergenicity returned only snippets, not fetched pages, so no value is taken from it. Hazards for people remain unverified.
- 'Mould growth in service: no quantitative mould-growth result was read. The Wildman 2026 mould dataset (University of Bath Research Data Archive) was located but the file could not be opened in this run. A Wildman 2026 journal paper on mould susceptibility was found but not fetched.'
- UV and direct sunlight exposure were not tested in the sources read. Schultz et al. say the material is not meant for direct sunlight, so UV ageing is unknown.
- Flexural strength was reported for one material only. The Ecovative spec sheet was not reachable (HTTP 403 and an error page), so its flexural, fire and vapour-retarder values are not used.
- Flame spread and full-scale fire rating were not found in the sources read. Jones et al. give cone heat release only. An EI 15 full-scale panel rating was mentioned in a review but not read.
- Fire and ignition times are not stated numerically in Jones et al. Time to ignition is not reported as a number.
- Water absorption for the NASA and Waskar materials is not given numerically.
- NASA Phase II report gives compressive results in a figure (Figure 39) that could not be read as text; only qualitative ordering is used.
- The NTRS 2021 IAC abstract (Lipinska et al.) calls the composites fire-resistant and insulating, but gives no numbers, so it is cited only in the narrative.
- Properties char_yield, shrinkage and peak_heat_release_rate are not in the canonical property list and are written as snake_case names.
- Density, compressive and thermal values come from different fungi, substrates and test methods, and are not directly comparable. Two values (afridi2026 and yang2020) rest on second-hand or thesis abstracts.
- No lunar or Martian environmental test result (vacuum, UV, radiation, thermal cycling) was read beyond the qualitative NASA statements. No flight result exists.
- Media (photographs or diagrams with licence) not added in this run.
sources:
elsacker2019:
title: Mechanical, physical and chemical characterisation of mycelium-based composites with different types of lignocellulosic substrates
id: 'doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0213954 (PLoS ONE 14(7): e0213954)'
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6645453/
year: 2019
kind: paper
license: CC BY 4.0
waskar2026:
title: Mechanical, Thermal, and Biodegradation Analysis of Fungal Mycelium Composite Blocks for Green Material Engineering
id: Mechanics of Advanced Composite Structures (Semnan University)
url: https://macs.semnan.ac.ir/article_10939.html
year: 2026
kind: paper
license: journal terms (abstract read)
jimenez2025:
title: Development and Characterization of Mycelium-Based Composite Using Agro-Industrial Waste and Ganoderma lucidum as Insulating Material
id: Jimenez-Obando et al. (journal not identified in the PDF)
url: https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/jof/jof-11-00460/article_deploy/jof-11-00460.pdf
year: 2025
kind: paper
license: open access (per URL, not confirmed)
jones2018:
title: Thermal Degradation and Fire Properties of Fungal Mycelium and Mycelium-Biomass Composite Materials
id: Scientific Reports 8, 17583 (PMC6279784)
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6279784
year: 2018
kind: paper
license: CC BY 4.0
schultz2024:
title: Characterization of Mycelium Biocomposites under Simulated Weathering Conditions
id: ACS Applied Bio Materials 7(12), 8408-8422
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11653254
year: 2024
kind: paper
license: open access (PMC)
afridi2026:
title: 'Sustainable Mycelium Biocomposites: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Strain, Substrate, and Processing Effects on Material Properties'
id: ISRG Journal of Engineering and Technology (ISSN 3107-5894), Zenodo record 21308073
url: https://zenodo.org/records/21308073
year: 2026
kind: paper
license: not stated
yang2020:
title: Investigations of Mycelium as a Low-carbon Building Material (ENGS 88 Honors Thesis)
id: Dartmouth College, Spring 2020
url: https://digitalcommons.dartmouth.edu/engs88/21/
year: 2020
kind: report
license: not stated
nasa-phase2-2024:
title: Mycotecture Off Planet, NIAC Phase II Final Report
id: NTRS 20250001059 (NASA Ames; dated March 2024, NTRS acquired January 2025)
url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20250001059
year: 2024
kind: report
license: public domain (NASA)
lipinska2021:
title: Growth as an Alternative Approach to the Construction of Extra-Terrestrial Habitats (IAC 2021)
id: NTRS 20210021668
url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210021668
year: 2021
kind: report
license: public domain (NASA)
ecovative-web:
title: Ecovative homepage (company statement on mycelium composites and AirMycelium)
id: Company website, no document identifier
url: https://ecovative.com/
year: 2026
kind: web
license: company website, terms not checked
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-19'
review:
status: draft
method: assistant
checked_values: 29
unreachable: 2
caveats: 3
note: Read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-19 from fetched pages and one NASA PDF. Ecovative spec sheet and mould dataset not reachable or not read. Pooled and thesis values are second-hand.
References
Every number above carries a reference number. Click one to see the source and where in it the value comes from.