Matt Ferrell from Undecided tours Ecovative’s mycelium farm to explore how fungal root networks are being transformed into a surprisingly versatile sustainable material spanning construction, fashion, food, and robotics.
Key insights:
Ecovative’s AirMycelium — grown in darkness on sawdust and wood chips in just 12 days — produces 3 million square feet of material per acre annually, with applications ranging from biodegradable leather to meatless bacon.
Mycelium leather takes just 9 days to grow, produces half the emissions of conventional cowhide, and costs as little as $0.18–0.28 per square meter versus ~$6 for raw hide — with Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Hermès already adopting it.
A 316-unit affordable housing complex in West Oakland is set to open in 2025 featuring carbon-negative mycelium cladding panels that provide thermal insulation, fire resistance, and sound absorption.
Cornell researchers have wired living mycelium into biohybrid robots, using its sensitivity to light to trigger directional movement — pointing toward future applications in precision agriculture and environmental monitoring.