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Articles, updates and posts from Future Cities Laboratory Global and its various projects and modules
Articles, updates and posts from Future Cities Laboratory Global and its various projects and modules
The growing concerns of environmental sustainability have led to the development of eco-friendly 3D printing technologies using biodegradable materials such as sawdust. Simultaneously, sawdust is a terrific substrate for fungal growth which can turn the sawdust into a mycelium-bound composite. With appropriate formulation, sawdust can be printed as an “ink” to create objects of different shapes and sizes. Nonetheless, the fibrous structure of the sawdust-based biodegradable material can pose challenges regarding water bleeding during the pumping process. To enhance the pumpability of sawdust-based material, alternative materials need to be incorporated to retain water content. Therefore, this research primarily aims to resolve the pumpability of the sawdust-based material and focuses only on the printing of sawdust material. From the results, it was found that while having high moisture is necessary for material extrusion, however, above a threshold, it will not be beneficial to the buildability aspect. Additionally, the addition of agar powder and coffee grounds improves the mycelium growth whereas the addition of calcium carbonate does not have a significant effect on the growth. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the printability of sawdust-based materials and their potential as sustainable alternatives in 3D printing applications. By addressing the challenges of pumpability, this research contributes to advancing the utilization of biodegradable materials, paving the way for more environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.
There is an urgent need to change the way society produces and fabricates materials. Among the sustainable processes developed to date, 3D printing enables limited generation of waste. Living materials that are grown by microorganisms are also an interesting approach to fabricate biodegradable materials sustainably. 3D printing of living materials is nevertheless challenged by a high barrier to entry due to stringent sterilization requirements. In this study, the authors use a waste ingredient, coffee grounds, to fabricate mycelium materials using 3D printing in ambient conditions. Mycelium is the vegetative parts of the fungi which forms an interconnected network, covering air-material interfaces with a dense skin. An agar gel was chosen as the printing medium and supplemented with coffee grounds, malt and peptone to double the growth rate and density of the mycelium by Pleurotus ostreatus. Despite the jelly nature of the agar-based ink, 3D printing with a resolution of about 1 mm could be achieved using direct ink writing. The growth of the mycelium embedded in the ink was studied over 28 days and demonstrated that the mycelium was efficient in reinforcing the printed part, doubling its compressive modulus up to 60 kPa. Furthermore, the objects created by this ink exhibit self-healing and can be used for gluing components together. The approach taken in this work could be adapted by the user to accommodate for functionality requirements and the available local resources, thereby addressing some of the most pressing sustainable development goals.
The architecture, engineering, and construction industry is undergoing a significant shift, steering buildings away from resource-intensive processes toward becoming instruments for climate mitigation. In this transformative landscape, integrating circular bio-based alternatives and reducing emissions through biotechnological and enzymatic processes have significant potential. Specifically, mycelium-bound composites have emerged as renewable alternatives for new materials and added-value wood products. Despite their numerous advantages, integrating these materials into current engineering practices presents challenges deriving from the complex nature of the material´s production process and the transfer from the laboratory to the industrial scale. In this regard, the design and engineering of novel controlled environments are fundamental in maintaining optimal growth conditions during material production. This, in turn, influences the overall material performance and potential use in construction.
Current environmental crisis calls for new sustainable materials and products. Mycelium-based materials are grown by fungi onto solid ligno-cellulosic substrates and are promising sustainable materials which still face barriers to entry. This review discusses the challenges and prospects for making mycelium products. First, the technical challenges, properties needs and scientific knowledge gaps are reviewed. Then, methods to tailor the performance of mycelium-based materials are proposed, using synthetic or natural means. Living mycelium-based materials are also considered as an interesting alternative. The potential market opportunities for these products and their distribution are also discussed along with the public acceptance and perception. Overall, this paper complements current reviews on mycelium materials fabrication and properties by highlighting key gaps and challenges to address to allow these materials to enter the market. The paper suggests directions of future research and development for including mycelium-based products in daily life and improving the sustainability of the materials commonly used and their production.
Of all types of ecosystems, cities are the most polluting and this pollution affects more than 50% of the global population. One main cause for this pollution is related to the energy used to heat or cool down buildings. Currently, only 15% of households in Southeast Asia have an air conditioner, but this number is expected to rise, leading to an increase in demand in energy consumption, electricity and CO2 emissions which could further worsen global pollution and climate change. There is therefore an urgent need to find alternative solutions to cool buildings and regulate their temperatures. In this paper, inspiration is taken from elephants who live in very hot climates. Elephants can cool themselves thanks to the wrinkles on their skin that can limit heat gain, dissipate energy by evaporative cooling and store water. To emulate elephants’ cooling, tiles with elephant skin-inspired surface texture are designed. Computational simulations are performed to evaluate the effect of local shading due to the texture. Experimental tiles are produced using a biodegradable and natural material grown by a fungus, Pleurotus Ostreatus. These tiles are mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) where the fungus grew on bamboo microfibers, developing an interconnected web of cells called the mycelium that binds the microfibers together. The thermal properties of the tiles were measured for heating and cooling on the textured and flat side. The results show the tiles have anisotropic properties with a significant improvement by 25% in the cooling of the textured side over the flat side. In simulated rain conditions, the cooling is further improved by 42% as compared to dry conditions. The elephant-mycelium tiles are therefore promising for thermal regulation of building in Southeast Asia environments.
Mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) are materials grown by fungi onto lignocellulosic substrates. MBCs are a low-cost, lightweight, valorised biomass with promising properties concerning acoustics, heat insulation and fire resistance, among others. These properties make MBCs interesting as a sustainable alternative to currently existing fossil-fuel derived products. However, MBCs lack properties such as mechanical strength or other functional properties like electrical conductivity which could widen their range of applications. In this work, the mycelium from Pleurotus ostreatus is grown in presence of metals. First, a coating strategy is developed to grow the fungus on aluminium, copper, and stainless-steel surfaces. The coating is made of agar and cornstarch to provide nutrients for the fungus to grow. It is found that the mycelium can grow on all surfaces, even on anti-bacterial copper surface. Secondly, magnetic MBCs with 3D shapes are fabricated for making potential reconfigurable structures. For these composites, the fungus is exposed to lignocellulosic substrate and rare earth magnets. Using 3D printing to create 3D moulds to grow the composite, and by strategically placing the magnet, several structures are made. This approach is interesting for the future design and fabrication of reconfigurable panels for room partition, building thermal or insulation, or to replace plastics in toy products, among others.
One main challenge of emerging fungal-based engineered living materials (ELMs) lies in achieving localized multi-material properties in these structures. Although three-dimensional (3D) printing can efficiently vary local composition and properties, it has not yet been demonstrated in fungal-based ELMs. This work thus explores the concept of using nutrients to manipulate fungal foraging behavior in 3D structures fabricated using direct ink writing (DIW) for the next generation of fungal-based ELMs. Using two fungal strains (Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum), this study shows that the ink formulation used is suitable for both DIW and mycelium growth. Varying the nutrient content allows for either the inhibition or promotion of exploration and bridging of mycelium in different sections, the control of mycelium density in three dimensions and the fabrication of patterned surfaces. There is potential in fabricating patterned fungal-based ELMs and lab-on-a-chip systems to investigate the effects of other substances and microorganisms on the foraging behavior of mycelium.
Listen to the ACP team's module overture to learn more about their past and future work. This series of seminars focuses on new research topics being developed at Future Cities Lab (FCL). Each seminar is an opportunity for the team leading the research to articulate their aims and aspirations, as well as the challenges they expect to face. It is also an occasion for participants to help shape the research through dialogue.
Meet the team based across the globe.
A Business Insider story on Singapore quotes Prof. Dr Thomas Schroepfer, Director, FCL Global, on improving the city with bicycle paths and future-proofing Singapore from future challenges.
To facilitate interaction, collaboration, synergy, and exchange within the FCL Global ecosystem, which comprises internal members, entities, external partners, and stakeholders, we employ a platform model.
