{"id":126746,"date":"2023-05-17T07:20:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-17T05:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=126746"},"modified":"2023-05-11T15:06:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T13:06:00","slug":"fungus-fashion-self-healing-vegan-leather-could-revolutionize-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/fungus-fashion-self-healing-vegan-leather-could-revolutionize-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Fungus Fashion: Self-Healing Vegan Leather Could Revolutionize Sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Picture this: a leather jacket<\/a> that can repair itself when torn, without the need for replacement. This could soon be a reality, thanks to innovative research that has developed a self-healing leather made from mycelium, the threadlike structures found in mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mycelium leather<\/a>\u00a0is already an emerging product in the market, but current production methods halt fungal growth. A recent study published in Advanced Functional Materials<\/a> reveals that by tweaking the production conditions, mycelium can retain its ability to regrow when damaged, offering a sustainable, self-repairing alternative to traditional leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bioengineer Elise Elsacker and her colleagues grew mycelium in a nutrient-rich solution, which formed a skin on the surface. This skin was then cleaned and dried to create a thin, fragile leather-like material. The researchers used milder temperatures and chemicals to form the leather while keeping parts of the fungus functional. Chlamydospores, small nodules on the mycelium<\/a>, remained dormant and can regrow more mycelium under the right conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team tested the leather\u2019s self-healing ability by punching holes in it and dousing the area with the same nutrient-rich broth used for growth. The mycelium regrew over the punctures, and the healed areas were just as strong as undamaged areas, although the repairs were visible from one side of the leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this self-healing vegan leather<\/a> is still in the proof-of-concept stage, it could potentially reach commercialization within the next decade, says study coauthor Martyn Dade-Robertson. However, the researchers need to make the leather stronger and control the chlamydospores\u2019 growth to avoid unexpected fungal growth on a rainy day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine the possibilities of a self-repairing, sustainable leather alternative that can save resources and reduce waste in the fashion industry. This groundbreaking innovation is a call to action for all of us to support and invest in sustainable alternatives to traditional materials<\/a>. Stay informed about such groundbreaking research, spread the word about eco-friendly products, and let\u2019s contribute to a greener, more sustainable future together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much like our food, it\u2019s easy for many to forget where their clothes come from. Animals are far too often exploited and misused in the fashion industry. When fashion literally kills, it\u2019s time for us to begin educating ourselves and the public about how animals are exploited in the fashion industry and what we can do to change the horrifying realities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fungi
The material was able to repair itself over several days. (Elsacker et al.,\u00a0Advanced Functional Materials, 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are so many great alternatives to all of these materials, that don\u2019t require anyone to lose their life. Check out apple leather<\/a>,\u00a0pineapple leather<\/a>,\u00a0\u00a0mushroom leather<\/a>,\u00a0fur alternatives<\/a>, and\u00a0lab-grown leather.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many companies have either stopped selling or are committed to phasing out the use of animal skins and furs in their products. Kering Group has begun\u00a0investing in lab-grown cow-free leather<\/a>, Moda\u00a0Operandi banned fur and exotic skins thanks to a PETA letter<\/a>, and\u00a0Armani announced they will ban Angora wool<\/a>. Check out these\u00a010 brands that have droppped fur, wool, and exotic skins in the past year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Original Publication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elise Elsacker<\/a>,\u00a0Meng Zhang<\/a>,\u00a0Martyn Dade-Robertson<\/a>; Advanced Functional Materials (2023); ‘Fungal Engineered Living Materials: The Viability of Pure Mycelium Materials with Self-Healing Functionalities’; https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/adfm.202301875<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Picture this: a leather jacket that can repair itself when torn, without the need for replacement. This could soon be a reality, thanks to innovative research that has developed a self-healing leather made from mycelium, the threadlike structures found in mushrooms. Mycelium leather\u00a0is already an emerging product in the market, but current production methods halt fungal growth. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Your clothes in the future could be a living, self-repairing material","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[14928,19005,5528,12468,17006],"supplier":[18151,1499,9285,14845],"class_list":["post-126746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-fashion","tag-myceliumleather","tag-sustainability","tag-textiles","tag-veganleather","supplier-kering-group","supplier-newcastle-university","supplier-northumbria-university","supplier-peta-international"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126746\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126746"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=126746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}