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An startup in Ar has developed mushroom-based biomaterials

Biotechnology is emerging as a tool for the creation of biomaterials that can dramatically reduce environmental impact. This is how Bionatur-All understands it, an Argentine startup that is betting on fungi to create low-carbon materials.

Based in Cosquín, Córdoba, Bionatur has spent the last five years researching and developing the use of fungi in biodegradable products. Their products are a compostable alternative to EPS and single-use plastics, and can be customized in different shapes and sizes.

Mushpack is a container made from the inoculation of mycelium with agro-industrial organic waste. When mixed with mycelium, the part of fungi that grows underground or within the bark of a tree, the result is a lightweight, flame-resistant, insulating, semi-flexible, long-lasting material. It can be used for packaging and degrades in 90 to 100 days.

María de los Ángeles Cano, chemical technician and head of the project, in an interview with Agrofy News, said that they wanted to provide the packaging industry with biomaterials that respond to the growing market demand for environmentally friendly solutions. At the same time creating regional value and contributing to an orderly transition of the sector towards more sustainable solutions.

He also states that the initiative is feasible in the short term and low cost because they use waste from local raw materials. Although mushroom-based materials already exist throughout the world, this type of production is new in Argentina. She says her lab is "homemade and doesn't have the latest technology."

Bionatur-All is also working on biotextiles and developing "leather" from fungi. Still in the research phase, the goal is to achieve a less expensive, biodegradable and ecological option. So far the result is a soft, flexible and durable material.

Cano believes that showing "how and why we do what we do" will convey awareness to understand another perspective of the productive sector.

https://www.bioeconomia.info/2022/05/10/una-startup-argentina-ha-desarrollado-biomateriales-a-base-de-hongos/