The Fungi in Your Future

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From bricks to furniture to leather, mushrooms can be made into a wide variety of materials. Philip Ross, of the San Fransisco based start-up, MycoWorks, explains how his company aims to fashion fungus into environmentally friendly clothing or structures in a fraction of the time and energy it takes when using traditional materials.
Produced by Luke Groskin
Filmed by Christian Baker
Music by Audio Network and Podington Bear (C.C. BY 3.0)
Additional Photos and Videos by Shutterstock.com , Pond5, Philip Ross, Michael Pisano (C.C. BY 3.0), Phillip Klawitter (C.C. BY 3.0), Paloma Ricon (C.C. BY 3.0)

[@JuanPablodelaTorre]

Someone give this guy more funding! This is amazing!

[@rapmaster]

Did you mean funging?

[@RyanScottForReal]

They did and have their own channel now!

[@241Groundhog]

At 4:12 Philip Ross talks about synthetic "wood," but I am much more excited about a mushroom substitute for styrofoam packing materials. That block he is holding looks like something you'd find inside a cardboard box protecting the corners of television or other like-object in transport. Styrofoam uses up our non-renewable petroleum supplies and also is not very biodegradable. However, mushroom "styrofoam" would not be made from petroleum, and it would break down into soil/dirt after the packing materials is thrown away. Muchroom styrofoam would probably be cheap to make too considering that the mushrooms are happy to grow on waste products.

[@SkaterSmurfs]

Very good point. Mushrooms (particularly Oyster Mushrooms) have also been shown to digest petroleum. Perhaps we might find a suitable way to process Styrofoam and other "non-recyclable" waste streams into a viable foodstuff for growing mushroom packing materials. Just a thought!

[@mandala_cceron]

Ecovative make a Mycofoam: www.ecovativedesign.com/myco-foam and i think Ikea will start using it for packaging this year

[@vredtaltveder7966]

the name is a cringe-worthy portmanteau perhaps used to attract the interest of the sustainable consumer, but good for everyone growing their tools!

[@Kiyarose3999]

241Groundhog Fungi is already being used by at least 1 company for the type of packaging you mentioned. Normal Styrofoam isn’t Bio degradable AT ALL, it will still be around hundreds of years after it’s chucked away.

[@Kiyarose3999]

Vredt Altveder ‘Good for everyone growing their tools’ ?

[@laboleta5863]

I whish him success.

[@gavcanflip]

I would toooooootally support this

[@grigoriyefimovichrasputin7897]

Would?

[@brothyr]

And so, the Mushroom kingdom began.

[@kaikai9533]

I can't help but to imagine Toadstools killing eachother to feed the leather industry

[@brothyr]

***** and Bowser is behind it all.

[@kaikai9533]

new, horror survival game for Mario franchise

[@MicahSky]

The mushroom kingdom was a prophecy

[@solarmurals314]

The mushroom kingdom began all life on this planet my friend Ever tought of coral being sea mushrooms?

[@jalexander9520]

I want to get a mushroom wallet now. Or jacket. Or seat. Or satchel. Or belt. Or anything.

[@ASMRGRATITUDE]

Any luck?

[@achatinaslak742]

I love Fungi, and Mycoworks too!

[@Hpfan3295]

Soooo...when will I be able to buy a jacket made entirely out of mushrooms?

[@katehu7194]

DUDE!!! Read my mind ;)

[@ugeee177]

This is the coolest thing ever.

[@tamniall]

Awesome 👏🏼

[@TheDarkesHour]

wow.. amazing.. best wishes!

[@thbestbananagaming]

You're KZbin channel is great and will definitely grow hugely just wait. Much luck

[@Kiyarose3999]

This is now 4 years old, PLEASE get this is in the shops, the climate can’t wait!. 🌎✊🏽🌻✌🏽

[@789___4]

bruh, he aint even aiming at functional product, this video is just grow bags & trying to pump up investors, go to teh Biofab Fourm.

[@stormyrocks4562]

This video just made me so happy, hopeful, and motivated

[@danielalepoeva7136]

This is a great idea. i really like this guy and support him and his ideas.

[@Mommy.Liam8]

Super great such a genius

[@ali_bin_husin_assegaf]

Leather face mask made by mushroom would be awesome!!!

[@crustmuskandpixiedust]

Awesome!

[@alan2here]

Have you produced any materials using this simple process that have there own unique properties, instead of mimicking other materials?

[@kaikai9533]

i love growing oyster mushroom, but i keep getting blue green mould... even in established colony :( also those fungi used for leather are sold at really high price. I thing just being able to mass cultivate it will net a profit.

[@alan2here]

KaiKai Doesn't it mass cultivate itself? Just put it in lots of food?

[@kaikai9533]

I have never grown Ganoderma Lucidum myself, but from my experience with growing oyster mushroom I can say that it is a very time consuming process. First you have to make sure the substrate you are going to grow fungi in is sterile in order to prevent bacterial growth, and growth of other more robust fungi (like my nemesis blue-green mold.) After that you have to make sure you keep the fungal culture you are growing in an environment that mold spores can't get to since the warm humid grown condition most fungus require happens to be the ideal mold growing condition. Since fungi need oxygen, you can't just seal it in air tight container. You have to maintain constant observation until the fungi fruit (mushroom.) Depending on what you are trying to grow it can take months to years. If at anytime your culture get contaminated by other fungi it is usually easier to start over with a new culture.

[@alan2here]

Thank you for the information.

[@junbh2]

It may be a bit hard to compete with how cheap leather is since leather is a bonus byproduct from meat so it costs almost nothing. But maybe they will figure out ways to scale up the mushroom growing process and mass produce it more cheaply, who knows. Actually it's some of the other uses I find more interesting - building materials, etc.

[@arowberry]

WHAT! I gotta know how durable mushroom leather is before making a saddle out of it.

[@juuk3103]

He said in the video stronger than sheep leather and stronger than deer.

[@CharGC123]

Fungus rules! How cool! Vegan leather!

[@grigoriyefimovichrasputin7897]

This man has more power with this fungis than thanos with all the infinity stones.

[@danified9834]

Sooooo COOL!!!!

[@ankievankasteren4158]

Wow this is great! ❤️ this is the future

[@biker451]

I have a few questions: What happens to the bricks, or furniture, after 20 years in a dry, or very moist, environment? Will paints adhere for 10 or 20+ years? How do the bricks compare to regular bricks in weight? Could you make a small boat or canoe in a form and would it be durable?

[@scifri]

These are great questions. We'll ask MycoWorks and get back you!

[@Snaake42]

I was thinking about how whether you could use those bricks or a similar, perhaps less dense substance for building insulation. I know paper can be recycled into a cellulose "wool" loose insulating substance, although I do think they add some anti-mold agents or such to it as well.

[@JohnPoteet]

Mushroom clothing items are traditional in parts of Eastern Europe. I presume the were durable enough to be worth the effort of making them. frimminjimbits.blogspot.com/2012/08/mushroom-cap.html

[@tambourini]

Thanks for the link!!!

[@communistjesus]

Welcome to the USA under DONALDDUMP (trademark 2016)

[@ianwardshaw6976]

Cool! I'm an REAL leather worker (real as in LEATHER leather, not as in he's not one), and I'm also a vegetarian, seems legit and I might look in to this!

[@a_s_samarina]

Amazing! So grate! Thats the answer!

[@789___4]

I AM GOING TO GROW SOME!, It is just flattened aerial mycelium and make some cool ass hell myclium leather shoes! vk.com/mackenzie_woods?z=photo553389897_457239277%2Falbum553389897_00%2Frev

[@miaschannelforcommenting]

I've never seen anything so solarpunk in my life, I love it

[@communistjesus]

Vision is scary.. U GO PHIL.. Good luck Mycoworks and Phil..

[@Sarswati.R.Shakya]

Love ittttt.

[@expressionoffreedom7165]

Can you create a solid floor with it? Wouldnt it be great if you could poor down some organic matter and let some mushrooms build you a new parking spot.

[@jenniferwatson7118]

WOW - fantastic!

[@farzanayasmin5583]

awesome :)

[@okin8949]

Great video...i read about this work in Paul Stamets' last book. Very cool technique. I just started testing birch polypore (anitviral, antibacterial) as a substiture for cartonboard (maybe for foo packaging?). Mushrooms provide so much.

[@Forgiven369]

Impressive

[@harrymehlenbacher1895]

this guys a genius. This looks so promising

[@liamwalker7989]

I've discovered my career, growing mushrooms.

[@SallyAdamsonTaylor]

Fabulous!

[@rubykirstine]

Love this!

[@Its_me12759]

thanks

[@Zoza15]

So everything will be made out of Fungi?, if the substance is strong enough and cheap enough, then why not?. I'll fully support this movement!.

[@omkr0122]

Amazing information!

[@VKeys97]

genius

[@DontTakeCrack]

i am a mycofan now

[@suelovivohongosyplantas]

Excelente ❤🎉

[@amiami3540]

Amazing technology. So very efo friendly

[@beyourbestversionmitivikap6792]

So cool - much success 🙌🏼❤️👍🏼

[@poolboywillis1225]

They have the ability to give us Everything we want.

[@warmachine25897]

how does the mycelium brick can be stick to one another? Is cement paste applicable?

[@evren.builds]

Is there a way to make myself some safely?

[@iluan_]

Buy some mushroom spores, put them in some waste fiber, and just wait. The only part of the process that could potentially be risky is manipulating the spores, but if you wear a mask you're safe. Also, don't use spores form fungi that are pathogenic or that grow on flesh. Just get some nice wood-eating fungi (i.e. Pleurotus ostreatus) and you'll be safe.

[@pralhadpande273]

can we start up do this,farming and producing ?? If you willing the globalization ??

[@adankseasonads935]

very cool.

[@dragonskunkstudio7582]

Petri dish beef and mushroom leather, It's what every animal activist wants, the eradication of cows. :P

[@Helveteshit]

In before the Druid Circle starts to shout, " Oppression on Nature! "

[@JuanPablodelaTorre]

Reducing the number of cows would greatly help the environment and humans in general.

[@kimchristie4375]

brilliant

[@OE509]

There's a short version of this #35 on Trending currently.

[@stapark11]

I want to study on fungi.

[@gortongirl]

I was wondering at the end if he has thought to make himself glasses frames.... Seems like it would be a good conversation starter and reduces plastic consumption.

[@SamoScopom]

I wonder if it is safe to make shoes from these. Because fungi in a shoe is something you want to stay a way from, or at least that's what everyone is telling me

[@tambourini]

That's a diff. fungus. Good question :)

[@Andreas-gh6is]

The problem with that idea is that cow leather is a byproduct of meat and milk production, meaning the demand for meat and milk is determining the amount of cattle raised. Unless we find ways to replace meat and milk, fungal leather may not see a large adoption. Of course, there are already projects aimed at replacing milk and meat.

[@unclebanana]

It's November 2019, and I'm still waiting for this to be a thing. Where are the shoes, jackets, belts, wallets, and purses made of this stuff? How about some sneakers?

[@madhumitasaha9326]

Can there be a video of the actual process showing how the mushroom fibres is turning into a leather like sheet? It's mentioned not really shown! I will be eagerly waiting for the video. Thank you.

[@VictorFursov]

VERY INTERESTING INDEED! THANK YOUVERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@junglsmor]

Could this be used for the hea of a drumhead/skin? Like say a conga?

[@emilyrodriguez718]

I would buy a car with these mushroom "leather" seats!

[@jcKobeh]

So, are the fungi-objects alive? Do they keep on growing? Or at what point are they (it?) killed to stop growth?

[@tambourini]

It's kinda like making stuff out of wood, hemp, other once living things. It retains wonderful properties but is not continuing to grow.

[@iluan_]

As soon as the food in the bag is depleted, the fungi begins to starve. after starvation, it does not grow. I once accidentally made something like this when I forgot a bag of coffee in my shed for a long time; the fungi grew and took the shape of the bag. at some point it died from starvation, and its corpse turned into a rigid material, kinda like styrofoam, but harder.

[@milkywaylibrary]

gotta work on the texture tho

[@Snaake42]

The raw leather stuff that he was stretching and twisting in his hands looked pretty decent, like basic tanned leather.

[@ianwardshaw6976]

yep

[@MathieuP]

Sooooo awesome ! How can we join your team ?

[@corytreverson9860]

I want to ask the same question

[@Dollapfin]

I DONT UNDERSTAND! How can they say they grow it into shapes when other sources say it’s made from extracted skins of mushrooms? Is it the mycelium that makes up the leather?

[@esmealvarado5887]

What is the heat resistance for Muskin ???

[@scifri]

It can be flame resistant...so pretty good! Or it can be grown to be not resistant. It all depends on how it's grown.

[@AYouTubeCommentator]

SciFri how can it be flame resistant? How sustainable is it?

[@andor888]

This guy has very round ears for a Telvanni wizard.

[@milkyaesthetics647]

I want to know if allergy sufferers can wear shoes made of this material

[@tambourini]

Likely, as the spores would be inactive or 'killed' during processing (?) Don't quote me, though. I hope the experts respond to your very important question!

[@Zoza15]

I think in the future some alchemy has to be involved to manipulate the effects of the fungi so that it doesn't damage those with allergie for Fungi..

[@elinamorozova4621]

Привет из России! Мне очень нравится то чем вы занимаетесь! Вы молодцы! Я вами горожусь! Очень хотелось бы приехать и посмотреть на все в реальной жизни! Спасибо вам за это изобретение!

[@tahanlaoboy]

The fungus for the fire starter

[@samratkadiyam4071]

Does this fungal leather require chemical tanning?

[@789___4]

no, fungal skin will brown by itself when under stressors, what they do, do tho is cross link the chitin to make it stronger and replace moisture.

[@munavvarfairuzeks]

After 20year what happen to mycelium? It last more?

[@beanerbandit8898]

What kind of mushrooms are used for the leather ?

[@Ray-mw1fx]

I'd buy a mushroom jacket.

[@buzoff4642]

While I'd love to get my hands on some of this for arts/crafts/sewing, I see no point to this video promotion if not selling it.

[@girl81ful]

Is this anywhere to buy??? I'm in love!

[@bullandtimber]

If I wanted to buy some fungus leather, how would I go about doing that?

[@IceColdYeti]

this is the start of fungi zombies

[@VIcKY-oy2hv]

How it's made ???

[@jlauralee]

very neat but what if you're allergic to mold/fungi ?

[@SkaterSmurfs]

When a mycelium has established itself... no mold or foreigners are able to inoculate the impregnable mass of fibers!

[@Kiyarose3999]

Yeh well I’m a Vegan biker, (minus a bike at mo), so where/when can I buy my Muskin Biker Jacket and work boots?

[@jivenesspie]

That's what Nintendo has been trying to tell you since super Mario bros.

[@evelynb9692]

what is the fungi at 30 seconds in

[@scifri]

A form of mycorrhizae. Species unknown

[@ViajanteNato]

How can I buy it?

[@crystal11418]

So - it's 2020 and........ did they meet same fate as Tesla's lab??

[@789___4]

No! they are just behind, have you seen ecovatives pillow of goodness!

[@789___4]

what the heck, this video is just footage of grow bags, yawl should hop on the Biofab forum and join our discussion on figuring out how they do it since they are really evasive.

[@readmore5888]

Will I be able to go invisible and have 60% more damage with a suit of this?

[@Treemaster16]

Beep Meep too much terreria

[@Treemaster16]

Jk lol

[@omduttdixit3433]

How can i contact u

[@doge62]

lol mushrooms

[@ElectricToast2099]

This is how The Last of Us starts!

[@luminaesolution4683]

Hello sir I'm from India n my name is Veer I want to start this business in India can u help us

[@munavvarfairuzeks]

Do you know anything about mycelium? Where in India?

[@ElloetteLightbringer]

Soo quiet...

[@achalasharma8756]

I was looking for vegan leather because Hindus cannot use animal leather

[@vinaykumardubey3992]

Veganism and Vegetarianism FTW

[@nickwinn7812]

Made from agricultural waste products. Man, that's fantastic! - But hold on, " SUSTAINABLE" agriculture has no waste - RIGHT? RIGHT? So, these products depend on agriculture continuing on it's current un-sustainable path for their fungal food. Not so fantastic afterall.

[@scrodymcboogerballs7]

first?

[@BIGWUNuvDbunch]

god damnit leroy