TU Delft researchers 3D print living mycelium materials with growth-driven functionalization

• Researchers at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) have developed a 3D printing approach for shaping living mycelium materials that can self-assemble functional particles during growth. Published in Advanced Functional Materials, the study demonstrates how fungal networks can be printed, grown, and selectively functionalized to create biohybrid living materials with tunable electrical properties. The work…

Researchers at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) have developed a 3D printing approach for shaping living mycelium materials that can self-assemble functional particles during growth. Published in Advanced Functional Materials, the study demonstrates how fungal networks can be printed, grown, and selectively functionalized to create biohybrid living materials with tunable electrical properties. The work was led by researchers from the Shaping Matter Lab at TU Delft’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. The researchers used Ganoderma lucidum, a filamentous fungus, embedding active hyphal fragments into a cross-linkable hydrogel ink for direct ink writing. Rather than treating fungal growth as a secondary biological effect, the study uses it as part of the fabrication process. As the