this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2026
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Fungi: mycelia, mushrooms & more

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This fabric is alive. Would you wear it? (web.archive.org)
submitted 1 month ago by solo@slrpnk.net to c/fungus@slrpnk.net
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Instead of weaving fibers, the team grew dense mats of mycelium, the threadlike filaments of which naturally intertwine into cohesive sheets. The researchers then soaked the material in glycerol—a syrupy compound that acts as a plasticizer, making the mycelium softer and more flexible without killing it. The result was a supple, living textile.

When supplied with nutrients, the fabric sprouts a layer of fuzzy fungal filaments across its surface, effectively renewing itself.

Clothing made from this is not ready-to-wear. And even if the technology matures, it won’t solve fashion’s sustainability problem.

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[–] VerdantMoon@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago

I mean... Alive is better than dead, no? I'd much rather wear this than, say, fur.

But I also sew, and like to make things with durable and machine washable natural fibre fabric. Materials like the mycelium in this article have a hard time fitting into our current way of both manufacturing and caring for our clothes. It's a very cool proof of concept, but I have a hard time seeing it come into widespread use.

I wonder if it may be better suited for like, food packaging? Instead of all the plastic...