Rethinking living matter: Animate behaviours of fungal composites

Nikolaidou, Anna; Adamatzky, Andrew

Abstract

Smart materials integrating conventional soft electronics e.g. sensors and actuators, are widely used in the building and wearable industries, contributing to the depletion of natural resources and having a vast environmental impact. In this paper, a novel method using living fungi for the development of responsive materials for smart architectural and wearable skins is discussed. Living fungi composites exhibit remarkable self-sustainable properties: selfgrowth, self- repair and self-assembly. They present responsive capabilities to environmental, chemical and mechanical stimuli, allowing the implementation of sensorial fusion and decision making. We inoculated hemp mat substrates with the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus and cultured until a coating of white mycelial growth was observed. We performed a series of laboratory experiments on the fungal composites, exposing them to various environmental, chemical and mechanical stimuli and we explored their communication protocols and smart capabilities. We found that living fungi composites employ precise responsive mechanisms by generating distinct electrical potential impulses in the form of spike events, presenting a promising alternative to conventional smart materials. The results open up new possibilities for the development of the next generation of smart materials for the building and wearable industries, allowing large scale implementation and production.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: SEEDS International Conference 2022
• Start Date: Sep 2, 2022
• End Date: Sep 3, 2022
• Deposit Date: Dec 27, 2022
• Keywords: fungal composites, biomaterials, sustainability, biosensors
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10274578
• Related Public URLs: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/events/conferences/seeds-conference-2022/