Fungal Mat Reinforcement Through Folding and Flipping in Liquid Media

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fungal mats grown in liquid media exhibit inferior mechanical properties compared to those grown on solid media, limiting their industrial applicability due to fragility and insufficient structural integrity.

Innovation Solution

Enhance fungal mats by exposing them to unspent media and physically manipulating them, including folding, flipping, and combining with additional mats or support materials, to improve mechanical properties such as tensile strength, ultimate load, thickness, and surface adhesion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If fungal mats are grown in liquid media, then scalability and ease of production are improved, but mechanical properties and structural integrity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of productionVSAvoidmechanical properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fungal mat is subjected to preliminary physical manipulation including folding, flipping, and rolling before final maturation. These preliminary actions create structural framework and enhance mechanical properties before the mat is fully formed, allowing liquid media cultivation to produce strong, scalable fungal mats.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces physical manipulation dimensions (folding, flipping, rolling) to the two-dimensional liquid culture system. By applying mechanical actions that create three-dimensional structural complexity, the fungal mat develops enhanced strength while maintaining the scalability of liquid media cultivation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Strength

If fungal mats are grown on solid media, then mechanical properties and structural integrity are improved, but scalability and production cost deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical propertiesVSAvoidscalability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the mechanical support system of solid media with a combination of liquid media and applied physical manipulation. Instead of relying on solid substrate for structural integrity, the fungal mat is mechanically processed (folded, flipped, rolled) to create its own structural framework, enabling scalability while maintaining strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Strength

If fungal mats are made thicker, then structural integrity is improved, but production time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidproduction time

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Physical manipulation actions (folding, flipping, rolling) are performed during the growth process to create structural framework that accelerates thickening. These preliminary structural developments allow the mat to achieve desired thickness faster than passive growth alone would permit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The fungal mat undergoes periodic physical manipulation cycles where it is folded, flipped, and rolled at intervals during growth. This periodic mechanical action stimulates continuous structural development and thickening, reducing overall production time compared to continuous passive growth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS20250340825A1Enhanced fungal material

Publication Date: 2025.11.06 EVERBLOOM BIO INC

AI summary

The invention relates to enhanced fungal mats having enhanced mechanical properties compared to naturally-occurring fungal mats produced by a fungus or fungi of the same species. The invention also relates to materials comprising said enhanced fungal mat, and to uses of said enhanced fungal mats and materials. The invention further relates to methods of enhancing the mechanical properties of a fungal mat.