Daily Weird News Report
Researchers in China have created a fabric-like material made from fungi that can perform some unusual functions, including changing color, regenerating damaged areas and developing a water-repellent surface.
The work, reported by New Atlas, comes from scientists at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology. Their process begins with Cordyceps militaris grown in liquid. The fungus forms clusters of threadlike material called mycelial pellets, which are placed in molds and dried into continuous sheets.
The initial sheets were too brittle for practical use, so the researchers treated them with glycerol. The softener made the material flexible enough to fold, cut and sew, giving it properties more similar to conventional fabric.
The scientists then added specially engineered yeast. Rather than applying textile dye, the yeast generated pigments within the material, producing colors including blue, red, orange and purple. The researchers also found that applying particular nutrients under humid conditions could stimulate fungal growth. That growth allowed damaged sections to regenerate and enabled the material to form selected patterns.
Other nutrients prompted the fungus to create a surface that repelled water. According to the report, water rolled off the altered texture instead of soaking into it, producing a self-cleaning effect without externally applied chemicals.
The team also tested Aspergillus niger, a fungus with melanin-rich hyphae. Incorporating those threads gave the material ultraviolet protection, New Atlas reported.
To demonstrate a possible application, the researchers assembled a dress from several pieces, each designed around a different biological feature. The main body used engineered yeast to create dark blue pigment. The hem incorporated fungal hyphae for water resistance, while the collar consisted of petal-shaped pieces that developed nutrient-triggered patterns.
The prototype also showed potential for reducing textile waste. The material reportedly broke down almost entirely in soil within 41 days, while its ability to regenerate could extend the useful life of garments.
The researchers’ system is not “programmable” through electronics or computer chips. Instead, the term refers to biological functions preserved or activated through the material’s fungal and yeast components.
Before such clothing could be produced commercially, the researchers still need to address manufacturing at larger scale and test the material’s durability and ability to withstand washing. Their findings were published in Science Advances.
