Fungi, Filaments and the Future of Materials
What if the building materials of tomorrow sprouted from the forest floor? It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but the microscopic secrets hidden inside mushrooms could be the next big leap for engineered materials. Researchers at Binghamton University and the University of California – Merced are unlocking these secrets, using nature’s own evolutionary tricks to develop smarter, more stress-resistant materials.
Their latest study, published in Advanced Engineering Materials, dives headfirst into the structural genius of fungi. Specifically, it explores the hyphal networks that give mushrooms their strength, flexibility, and remarkable adaptability. These findings could ultimately transform how we approach material design for high-stress industries like construction and aerospace.
Nature’s Blueprint for Strength
Fungi have had a long head start. After millions of years of fine-tuning their survival strategy, they’ve evolved cellular systems that elegantly balance resilience and flexibility. The researchers focused on the hyphae — slender, threadlike structures that form the structural backbone of fungi.
“We looked at how these filaments twist and branch to respond to stress,” explained Mohamed Khalil Elhachimi, PhD student and lead author of the study. “They control how fungi deform and recover, offering valuable clues for building better synthetic materials.”
To get a closer look, the team used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyse the cell structures of two mushroom species: Agaricus bisporus (the everyday white button mushroom) and Grifola frondosa (the more complex maitake mushroom).
The white button mushroom features a uniform, randomly oriented filament system. In contrast, the maitake mushroom boasts two types of hyphae arranged directionally to optimise growth toward light and moisture. This directional growth leads to unique stress-handling capabilities, with the maitake’s dual-filament system proving significantly more sophisticated.
Computational Modelling Inspired by Mushrooms
Armed with biological insights, the next step for the team is to simulate these fungal behaviours in the digital realm. That means building a finite element model to test and predict how structures based on hyphal networks would perform under stress.
“Once we’ve got the model, we can reverse-engineer it,” Elhachimi said. “We start by specifying the desired mechanical properties, and AI figures out the structural layout that delivers them.”
This move toward inverse design could radically alter the way materials are developed. Rather than starting with a material and measuring its properties, researchers will be able to design from the end-goal backward — a feat only made possible by advances in deep learning.
Deep Learning and the Design Revolution
The role of AI in this process is pivotal. Assistant Professor Mir Jalil Razavi noted that deep learning models now allow researchers to simulate tens of thousands of filaments at once.
“This kind of simulation just wouldn’t be feasible manually. AI handles the complexity, giving us the flexibility to explore massive design spaces in a fraction of the time,” said Razavi.
Training these models, of course, is no walk in the park. The team plans to feed their simulations with experimental data from lab-generated materials. These biomimetic structures will be 3D printed based on AI-generated designs and subjected to rigorous stress testing. This loop of design, print, and test will help refine both the models and the materials.
Where Mushrooms Meet Industry
It’s not just theoretical. The implications for real-world applications are enormous. Once the AI models and physical testing align, the methodology could be applied to engineer novel materials in industries that demand mechanical excellence under pressure.
Think aerospace components that are lighter but tougher, or construction materials that bend without breaking during seismic events. The potential to create materials that combine strength, flexibility, and sustainability is what excites the team most.
“We’re not just talking about replacing plastics or metals,” said Razavi. “We’re talking about inventing entirely new classes of material based on the architecture of fungi.”
This biomimetic approach taps into an evolutionary design process that’s been stress-testing itself for eons, offering inspiration that no human engineer could dream up from scratch.
Broader Scientific Context and Support
The paper in Advanced Engineering Materials was co-authored by Akbar Solhtalab, another Binghamton PhD student, and Assistant Professor Debora Lyn Porter from UC Merced. The research received support from the Integrated Electronics Engineering Center (IEEC) at Binghamton University.
This isn’t the first time mushrooms have been touted as eco-innovators. Mycelium-based materials have already been explored for packaging, insulation, and even furniture. What sets this research apart is its deep dive into the microscopic mechanics — an area that could bring fungi-inspired designs into domains where performance is critical and failure isn’t an option.
The Road Ahead
The next phase of this ground-breaking project will see more integration of experimental work with machine learning outputs. Expect a flurry of 3D printed prototypes and lab trials as researchers zero in on the optimal hyphal configurations.
The goal is to fully validate the computational predictions and create a reproducible design methodology. This would allow designers and engineers to specify what they want — tensile strength, flexibility, damping — and let the system figure out how to build it.
If successful, this could usher in a new era of intelligent materials, marrying biological inspiration with digital design and AI-driven optimisation.
Shaping the Materials of Tomorrow
The research is still in its early stages, but the promise it holds is immense. As climate pressures mount and industries search for more sustainable yet high-performance materials, looking to fungi may no longer seem so far-fetched.
“There’s so much we can still learn from nature,” said Razavi. “We are just getting started with this kind of research.”
And that might just be the understatement of the decade.
