Fungi Fabrics
Breakthroughs
In order to make Fungi Fabrics a competitive alternative to fabrics used today, several breakthroughs are required.
Fabric Improvements
Since we we are looking at developing a material that would substitute textile fabric, breakthroughs are required in re-engineering the mycelium to control its growth patterns, elasticity, thickness and durability. Another alternative would be using additional non-toxic and biodegradable materials to treat the hyphae, bind them together or simply fill the space between them.
High-scale Manufacturing
Technological advancements need to be made to fully operationalize the mycelium fabric manufacturing process at a commercial scale, as the process currently is labour-intensive and time-consuming. Large scale compost processing and substrate preparation is another prerequisite that needs to be met.
Customer Acceptance
Although there is a great interest in the idea of clothing made out of mushrooms, and the use of sustainable materials, some potential customers may have reservations against this material due to not understanding its properties and benefits. Therefore, education, awareness and recognition will be required for consumers to better understand the advantages of the fabric made of fungus.