Elise Elsacker

Vrije Universiteit Brussel | VUB · Department of Microbiology

The genome of Trametes versicolor encodes multiple laccase isozymes, the expression of which is responsive to various conditions. Here, we set out to investigate the potential of orange peel extract as an inducer of laccase production in this white-rot fungus, in comparison to the previously identified inducing chemical compound, veratryl alcohol....

Leathery mycelium materials, made from the vegetative part of filamentous fungi, have garnered significant interest in recent years due to their great potential of providing environmentally sustainable alternatives to animal- and plastic-based leathers. In this systematic patent review, we provide an in-depth overview of the fabrication methods for...

This paper presents significant advances in mycelium biofabrication using permanent knitted textile formwork and a new substrate formulation to dramatically improve the mechanical properties of mycelium-textile biocomposites suitable for large-scale components for use in construction. The paper outlines the biofabrication process, detailing the com...

Engineered living materials (ELMs) composed entirely of fungal cells offer significant potential due to their functional properties such as self‐assembly, sensing, and self‐healing. Alongside rapid developments in the ELM field, there is significant and growing interest in mycelium materials, which are made from the vegetative part of filamentous f...

The paper discusses how catenary geometry was used to define parameters for knitting and mycelium, and how they were applied to the design of a 3D knit preform. In addition, the paper evaluates the success of the bespoke growth chamber fabricated for this research. The growth chamber was designed to support the hanging preform as a catenary vault d...

The BioKnit prototype is a free-standing architectural construction fabricated using knitted fabric, mycelium, and bacterial cellulose. This paper documents the experimental work that underpins the development of BioKnit and presents a new methodological approach; the Living Textiles strategy that combines biological experimentation with parametric...

For over thirty years, the biological degradation of plastics by microorganisms has been promoted through microbiological publications as an eco-friendly alternative for landfilling and incinerating. Nevertheless, today landfilling and incinerating are still the most economically viable ways of discarding plastics. This paper sets out to investigat...

Biological materials that are created by growing mycelium-forming fungal microorganisms on natural fibers can form a solution to environmental pollution and scarcity of natural resources. Recent studies on the hybridization of mycelium materials with glass improved fire performance; however, the effect of inorganic particles on growth performance a...

Environmental pollution and scarcity of natural resources have led to an increased interest in developing more sustainable materials. Mycelium material fabrication is an emerging bio-based and circular technology to produce materials ranging from foam to particleboard applications. In this process, organic waste streams – such as agricultural waste...

The urgent need for a more sustainable built environment is leading researchers to investigate biohybrid strategies utilizing living materials within composite material systems. Mycelium, the root network of fungus, has been successfully developed as a binder in the production of bulk composite elements, grown as bricks or other preforms. Research...

In the search for environmentally friendly materials, mycelium composites have been labelled as high potential bio-based alternatives to fossil-based and synthetic materials in various fields. Mycelium-based materials are praised for their biodegradability, however no scientific research nor standard protocols exist to substantiate this claim. This...

In the context of the ongoing transition from a linear to a circular economy, ecologically friendly renewable solutions are put in place. Filamentous fungi can be grown on various organic feedstocks and functionalized into a range of diverse material types which are biobased and thus more sustainable in terms of their production, use and recycling....

Background While mycelium is considered a promising alternative for fossil-based resins in lignocellulosic materials, the mechanical properties of mycelium composite materials remain suboptimal, among other reasons due to the weak internal bonds between the hyphae and the natural fibres. A solution could be provided by the hybridisation of mycelium...

Concrete is the most used construction material worldwide due to its abundant availability and inherent ease of manufacturing and application. However, the material bears several drawbacks such as the high susceptibility for crack formation, leading to reinforcement corrosion and structural degradation. Extensive research has therefore been perform...

This paper presents four key developments that are leading to the scalability of the fabrication processes of mycelium material. We develop a biological and digital fabrication pipeline for (1) growing large mycelium composite blocks, (2) on-site robotic wire-cutting, (3) using mycelium materials as a multi-functional formwork, and (4) implementing...

Environmental pollution and scarcity of natural resources have led to an increased interest in developing more sustainable materials. The traditional construction industry, which is mostly based on the extraction of fossil fuels and raw materials, has therefore been called into question. Biological materials that are created by growing mycelium-for...

Environmental pollution and scarcity of natural resources lead to an increased interest in developing more sustainable materials. For example, the traditional construction industry, which is largely based on the extraction of fossil fuels and raw materials, is called into question. A solution can be found in biologically augmented materials that ar...

The paper discusses how open-platform research is deployed as a tool to scale-up the manufacturing of biologically augmented materials in the building industry. A broad potential exists in the production of biomolecular self-assembling living materials, such as mycelial composites [1], with properties that are beneficial for all organisms (humans a...

The current physical goods economy produces materials by extracting finite valuable resources without taking their end of the life and environmental impact into account. Mycelium-based materials offer an alternative fabrication paradigm, based on the growth of materials rather than on extraction. Agricultural residue fibres are inoculated with fung...

This paper presents the first results of a method for the fabrication of biologically augmented materials by engaging with the unique properties of complex non-linear fungal systems. We in- vestigate the practical requirements to produce mycelium-based materials as a case-study of closed-loop materiality, focused on the importance of its terrestria...

The current physical goods economy produces materials by extracting finite valuable resources without taking their end of the life and environmental impact into account. Modernity leaves us with devasted landscapes of depleted resources, waste landfill, queries, oil platforms. At the time of the Anthropocene, the various effects the human role has...