麻豆社

From mouldy bread to athlete鈥檚 foot, fungi don鈥檛 exactly scream 鈥渉ome improvement.鈥� But what if this misunderstood kingdom is the secret to the sustainable materials of the future?

Listener Alexis - definitely not a gnome - wants to know how much of our homes we could build with fungi. Professor Katie Field describes how the mushroom is the just tip of the iceberg - it鈥檚 the network of thread-like filaments called mycelium where fungi really do their best work. Architect Phil Ayers explains how fungi, like yeast in bread, can bind waste products into firm, MDF-like blocks. And while we鈥檙e not constructing skyscrapers with mushrooms just yet, it turns out fungi-based materials are already making waves in interior design. Think sound-absorbing wall panels or insulation that鈥檚 both eco-friendly and chic.

And here鈥檚 a cool one: mushroom leather! Using discarded stalks from mushroom farms, one company is crafting strong, flexible material for trainers, handbags, and even car dashboards. Move over, cows - mushrooms are pushing their way up.

Oh, and NASA? They鈥檙e dreaming big with fungi too - to grow habitats in space. From mould...to the moon!

Contributors:

Katie Field - Professor of Plant-Soil Processes at the University of Sheffield
Phil Ayres - Professor of Biohybrid Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy
Patrick Baptista Pinto - co-founder of Really Clever
Maurizio Montalti - Co-founder and Chief Mycelium Officer of SQIM / MOGU
Lynn Rothschild - Senior Research Scientist at NASA Ames research centre

Producer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A 麻豆社 Studios Audio Production