I'm writing an article about sustainable materials for an upcoming issue of our sustainability newsletter and I've just been doing some research on mycelium.
It's absolutely amazing stuff!
Apart from it's natural use of being an underground substrate for mushrooms and holding soil together, the number of things that we can make or 'grow' from it is amazing.
Packaging, a leather substitute, bricks or entire wall panels for the construction industry, etc. etc. Oh, and we can also grow plant based protein like steaks or burgers from it.
It's sustainable, biodegadeable, and not insanely expensive to produce, unlike many 'eco' materials, Plus it's low-density, light, and strong, also a great thermal and acoustic insulators and is highly fire-resistant.
Seems like an almost perfect material, I'm sure there are some downsides but I haven't found many of them yet.