As I walked the Florida beach on this August morning, I surveyed the wrack line. Interspersed with shells, empty turtle eggs, drying seaweed, skate egg cases, coconut fronts, dead coral pieces, and sea glass, I could see small and large bits of plastic. A lost flip flop. Water bottle cap. … [continued]
Scientists at Washington State University have created a new type of foam derived from wood pulp they say has as much insulating power as Styrofoam.
Researchers at the University of Maryland have created a new class of insulation material made from wood. Called nanowood, it is cheaper and stronger than other insulation materials, plus it insulates better and is biodegradable.
Normally manufacturers must rush their products off the assembly line, but EcovativeDesign has a novel approach. They just wait, up to week, and let mycelium do the manufacturing work to construct everything from insulation to packaging materials.
In a completely new way to make stuff, they let mycelium – a fungal network of threadlike cells – grow the material by combining itself with agricultural byproducts like plant stalks and seed husks. Mycelium is like the “roots” of mushrooms. In 5 – 7 days, in the dark, with no water, and no petrochemical inputs, the mycelium digests the agricultural byproducts.
Once the mycelium has bound the agricultural waste then a quick heat-drying treatment at the end halts the organic growth, resulting in a stable, strong, waterproof structural material.
Over the last ten thousand years, we humans have put many plants and animals to work for our ends, but it is likely that this marks the first manufacturing work by the kingdom of fungi.
