Week 3 - Material Transformation

Mycelium is part of the fungi kingdom and is the network of threads, called hyphae, from which mushrooms grow. As fungi are neither animal nor plant, these versatile and interesting organisms are a critical part of ecosystems and the natural processes of decay and renewal.

Mycelium can be used to make building materials fire-resistant, stronger, and lighter. It can be used in the fashion industry to mimic the look, texture, and utility of leather. Mycelium is an eco-friendly, sustainable, and renewable resource. Because of its inherent properties, it can be recycled and regrown time and time again.

Mycoremediation

Unlike humans and other mammals, who take in the food source before breaking it down, mycelium works the other way around. Because hyphae break down, or digest, a food source before ingesting the nutrients, they can be used to eliminate contaminants that might otherwise not be biodegradable.

The excretions from hyphae are like our stomach acids; they break down the food source without ingesting it. These excretions can break down long chains of hydrocarbons, including toxic and petroleum-based elements such as plastics and unrefined oil. This process is called mycoremediation. More than just a fungus, mycelium is a fascinating part of ecosystems

Video explaining mycoremediation

Task 3

For this weeks task I was set on making my own mycelium brick. First, I started with making a volume of my IMP site for the brick to grow in and transform the empty space. Second, comes the mycelium experiment.

Day 1 -

Note : Everything was constantly sterilised throughout this process

Step 1 : Knight & Lee volume

Step 2 : mix straw and mycelium

Step 3 : Add flour

Step 4 : Packing tightly the mixture into the volume

Step 5 : Adding in final bits of mixture

Step 6 : Wrap volume in film & add holes with a scalpel

Day 3 -

The mycelium started to peek through

The first white dot was spotted

Some condensation was found on the inside of the film so I added a few more holes

Day 8 -

Day 11 -

Mycelium has taken over

Day 15 -

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/9a2118_0dd93fa550c145c19922761d633639b9/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

This was the last day of growth. I let it dry out for a couple of hours before baking it. From the video, you can see that it is sponge-like but still stiff, very rubbery similar in texture to a mushroom.

Baked at 70°C for 2 hours

Side Profile Baked

Plan Baked

If you take a look at the edges of the brick they are grey and dead, that is due to the glue used to make the box the mycelium grew in.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/9a2118_8388c71c676347a48e7e55e1cbf1fd76/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Here is the final result after baking. The Mycelium wasn't even hot when it came out of the oven and when water touched it, it slipped right off. The brick was lightweight and strong, further tests will be taken to see how reliant it is.

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