MycoAcoustics

Robotic Extrusion of Multimaterial Substrates
with Post-Grown Ganoderma Lucidum for Acoustic Bio-Composites

when

In 2020, the EU generated approximately 2.15 billion tonnes of waste. A significant portion originates from key industrial and agricultural sectors, creating a major environmental challenge and an opportunity for circular innovation.

Focus Area 1: Construction

This is the largest waste stream in the EU, accounting for 37.5% of the total. It underscores a critical need for sustainable and recyclable building materials.

Focus Area 2: Manufacturing

Responsible for 10.7% of all waste, this sector presents a clear opportunity to implement circular economy principles by redesigning products and repurposing industrial byproducts.

Focus Area 3: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing

While smaller at 1.4%, this sector produces vast amounts of organic byproducts that are often underutilized, offering a prime resource for bio-fabrication.

REVITALIZE USED-CORK STOPPERS

A recent pilot program by the Institut Català del Suro provides a compelling case study for the viability of a local circular economy. Conducted over a three-month period in the Catalan municipalities of Cassà de la Selva and Palafrugell, the initiative successfully recovered over 31,750 used cork stoppers (173.45 kg). This achievement is significant not just for the volume of material diverted from the waste stream, but for its practical demonstration of how post-consumer products can be effectively reclaimed as a high-quality raw material. The success of this test validates a supply chain model that directly supports the MycoAcoustics project. The granulated cork serving as the project’s main material is supplied by the Institut Català del Suro, showcasing a direct partnership built on these principles of local sourcing and sustainability.

ACOUSTICS PROPERTIES OF CORK

The suitability of cork as an acoustic material stems from its unique cellular structure, which consists of millions of tiny,air-filled cells. This natural composition makes it an excellent porous absorber, particularly effective at dissipating sound energy in the medium to high-frequency ranges (400-4000 Hz). This performance profile is ideal for environments like lecture halls, classrooms, and offices, as it directly targets the critical frequency range for human speech intelligibility,ensuring clarity and reducing echo.

While standard cork is naturally less effective at absorbing low frequencies, its performance can be significantly enhanced through intelligent design. As demonstrated in the provided acoustic tests, incorporating an air gap behind a cork panel dramatically boosts its sound absorption coefficient, particularly in the lower-mid frequencies. This technique allows for superior performance without increasing the panel’s thickness or weight, offering a more efficient and lightweight material solution.

Cork is best at low frequencies.

Sawdust is best at high frequencies.

The Composite is a versatile all-rounder.

Because of the morphological stages of Reishi mushroom or Ganoderma lucidum

Mycelium | Woody structure

Mycelium | Antler & Conk

leads to the research question

And the most important part of

Growing recipe

The acoustic ability of the Reishi mushroom has been shown clearly through the acoustic test.

This research set out to address the critical environmental deficiencies of conventional acoustic material and the potential of the biomaterial as a construction material. The core objective was to investigate whether the distinct morphological stages of Ganoderma lucidum could be leveraged through robotic 3D printing to create sustainable, high-performance acoustic panels. The study successfully developed a specialised substrate that could respond to the needs for biological growth and acoustic functions. Utilising urban solid waste like cork stoppers, agricultural waste like hay and straw and construction waste like sawdust, combining with natural binders creates both acoustic responsive materials and provides a nutrient source to the mushroom. Empirical acoustic testing confirmed that mycelium panels exhibited excellent sound absorption capabilities, demonstrating the highest sound absorption coefficient when compared to uncolonized cork or sawdust panels. Furthermore, the conceptual framework was successfully established for a multi-functional panel, where the dense mycelial network would absorb sound and the irregular, hardened geometry of the fruiting body would act as a natural sound diffuser.

The findings of this research definitively confirm the ability to harness the distinct acoustic properties of Ganoderma lucidum. Each morphological stage contains unique properties beyond physical properties such as water repellent, fire resistance and light weight. The mycelial network of Ganoderma lucidum has shown an explicit sound absorption coefficient with the highest number among all comparative panels. Moreover, Ganoderma lucidum’s mycelium has also shown a better cohesive property than the comparative prototype from Pleurotus ostreatus. Fully colonised substrate is solidified from the thick and dense mycelium while remaining as a lightweight material. The research carried out to conclude the potential of physical appearance, texture, hardness and irregularity of the fruiting bodies could be the natural sound distribution of the panel. By and large, this study 

Looking further for the fabrication and assembly process of “bio-welding,” where adjacent robotically fabricated mycelium components are induced to fuse postinstallation, creating truly monolithic structures. This work has outlined the framework for the MycoAcoustic panel, a performative, bio-integrated system that is ecologically sustainable and offers functional and aesthetic advantages over conventional materials. In the long term, this research serves as a foundation for developing adaptive or living architectural systems. One could explore components maintained in a state of controlled dormancy, enabling them to self-repair or modify their acoustic properties in response to environmental triggers like humidity or CO₂ levels from human occupancy. The documented electrical sensitivity of mycelium also presents opportunities for creating active, sensing building skins. Ultimately, this research contributes to a circular construction model where high-performance components are cultivated from local waste streams and are fully compostable at their end-of-life, participating in a regenerative ecological cycle.