A programmable fungal platform for engineered living textiles.

Authors

Ke Li, Bolin An, Jicong Zhang, Dongmin Xun, Xinyi Yuan, Youyang Song, Xinyu Wang, Chao Zhong

Published in

Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 30. Pages eaed6937. Jul 24, 2026. Epub Jul 24, 2026.

Abstract

A central challenge in engineered living materials (ELMs) is the seamless integration of macroscopic structural assembly with sustained cellular viability and programmable function. Here, we report a fungal-based living material that addresses this challenge by preserving the metabolic activity of Cordyceps militaris mycelia within macroscale, cohesive films fabricated via a low-energy process. These living textiles retain the capacity for environmental response, demonstrated by nutrient-induced aerial hyphal growth that enables surface renewal. The native mycelial architecture further allows for volumetric integration of engineered microbial partners, exemplified by coculture with pigment-producing Saccharomyces cerevisiae for in situ patterning and melanized Aspergillus niger for built-in ultraviolet shielding. This modular design decouples bulk structural fabrication from genetic functionalization, offering a plug-and-play platform for synthetic biology. Environmental assessments confirm near-complete morphological degradation within 41 days. Our work establishes a scalable and sustainable chassis for functional ELMs, bridging a critical gap between structural integrity and biological programmability.

PMID:
42497282
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Jul 2026.

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