MYCELIUM THREADS

Day02. Thursday July 08, 16:00 EDT

Mushrooms may be the best weapon against climate change. Mycelium has several applications from 'eating' plastic, to absorbing carbon dioxide, & even cleaning up nuclear spillages. Many brands are already using mushrooms for compostable packaging, & if this becomes mainstream, it could have the potential to reduce global carbon emissions. This talk will explore fungi-related design innovations & Jane's speculative design work on the topic.

Mushrooms may yet be the best weapon against climate change. Not only do they absorb carbon dioxide, but research has shown that mycelium can 'eat' plastic and even clean up nuclear spillages. Biomaterial investigations are suggesting mycelium may be an important material in transforming the building and construction industry. Many well-known brands such as Ikea have already made the leap into using compostable mushroom-based packaging for their products. Mycelium as a material has many possible applications, and has the potential to go mainstream and make a tangible difference to carbon emission savings on a grand global scale.

During this talk, I will be exploring fungi related design innovation as well as my own speculative design projects.In my longer workshop, I would like to put some of these ideas into practice, with participants working in groups to collaboratively solve or ideate around real-world problems; specifically exploring potential applications of mycelium and other fungal materials. Participants will be encouraged to take an interdisciplinary approach to the task; considering the spaces between disciplines in this context. Workshop outcomes will be shared to a collective digital space, and the session will culminate in a discussion of the solutions investigated within the groups.

Jane Anderson is a design academic from Birmingham City University. Her postgraduate research has thrown her on an unlikely path away from her design roots, and into a rekindling of her relationship with the natural world, and more lately, a fascination with fungi. Through her investigations she aims to connect design thinking and explorative practice, to question the design industry's contribution to the climate emergency, and to consider how biomaterials like mycelium might somehow get us out of the ecological mess.