Menu
MapConnectionsTopicsBulgariaThe Night (K-TRIO)Marie Skłodowska-CurieFor studentsFor teachersMethodologySurprise me
HEIndividual fellowship2024–2026

MyBond · Mycelium Material Bonding: Molecular Mechanism and Enhancement Strategy

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2024-09-01 → 2026-08-31
EU contribution
€187,624
Participants
1
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Mycelium Material Bonding: Molecular Mechanism and Enhancement Strategy

The European Green Deal emphasizes the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by transitioning toward sustainable and bio-based materials. Fungal mycelium emerges as a particularly promising material, offering significant environmental advantages due to its biodegradability and its potential to replace petroleum-derived adhesives commonly used in lignocellulosic composites. Despite these advantages, the effective deployment of fungal materials is constrained by a limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal adhesion. In particular, how surface-associated fungal components, such as exopolysaccharides and hydrophobin-like proteins, contribute to fungal adhesion to substrates remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap restricts material design strategies and limits the tuning of fungal adhesion properties for specific applications. This project was designed to address these fundamental questions through a targeted investigation of Schizophyllum commune strains, including both wild-type and hydrophobin- (SC3) and hydrophobin-like (SC15) deficient mutants. The goal was to systematically compare fungal adhesion behavior, material morphology, and biochemical composition under different culture conditions. A specific focus was also placed on how drying and surface chemistry influence fungal attachment to various substrates, ranging from porous to hydrophobic. By clarifying the role of hydrophobins and exopolysaccharides in adhesion, the project aimed to identify mechanisms that could be used for further materials design. The expected outcome was to generate actionable insights that bridge molecular biology and materials science, paving the way for scalable fungal adhesives and fungal biomaterials with reduced environmental impact. These results contribute directly to EU policy goals by enabling the replacement of non-sustainable materials with safe, bio-derived alternatives in sectors ranging from construction to packaging. The project thus supports both scientific advancement and practical innovation in line with Europe’s transition to a climate-neutral, circular economy.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The development of natural-based materials is crucial to reduce environmental impact and achieve a circular economy. Fungal mycelium has recently achieved significant attention as a new biobased sustainable material. In nature, filamentous fungi colonize lignocellulosic (i.e. plant) substrates such as wood and agriculture waste streams; their elongated mycelium works as a natural glue that binds the substrate together. Taking advantage of this unique binding property, people have developed innovative methods to grow fungal mycelium in different lignocellulosic waste streams resulting in composite products with various forms, densities, and target applications. However, little is known about the fundamentals, especially the essential factors that determine the material properties. This project aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the adhesion of mycelium to the substrate and to use this knowledge to enhance this adhesion to optimize fungal mycelium materials thereby contributing to the EU’s sustainable plan. The project will focus on three different levels: understand filamentous fungi adhesion to lignocellulosic surfaces at the molecular level; improve this adhesion based on the findings; apply this technology to novel fungal mycelium-lignocellulosic-based sustainable materials development. This project will carry out a multidisciplinary study linking molecular and chemical biology to materials science and technology. The transfer of knowledge will benefit both the researcher and the host and further promote mycelium material development. The result of this proposal will be shared with researchers in different disciplines, industrial partners, and the public. It will contribute to EU’s sustainable technology.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union