As part of our ongoing work in biomaterials and circularity, we held an internal ‘make your own mycelium’ workshop to give our team some hands-on experience of working with mycelium bio-composites.

Hosted by our resident ‘shroom expert’ Abhinav Chaudhary, the group got to try their hands at making their very own usable object such as small vase, pen holder or desk sculpture.

The workshop focused on the innovative ‘lost formwork’ technique that was developed by the PLP Labs team. Our participants filled 3D-printed-wood moulds with substrate (organic material) packed with mycelium spores.

These were placed in an incubator for 2 weeks to develop, before we baked them at a low temperature to stop their growth. The result – some tactile and strangely beautiful objects.

Mycelium is fundamental to life on our planet. This fungus consists of a network of fine, thread-like structures called hyphae, which spread through the soil (or any organic matter) to create a dense, interconnected network that can absorb nutrients. Mushrooms are in fact the fruit of mycelium, which grow when it’s exposed to light and air.

As part of our mission to help spread the word about the wonders of mycelium we debuted our work at last year’s Clerkenwell Design Week and are currently exhibiting at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.