Researchers from Newcastle and Northumbria University have developed "healing" skin from thread-like
Исследователи вырастили мицелий в специальном “soup” rich in proteins, carbohydrates and other nutrients. A film formed on the surface of the liquid, which the scientists peeled off, cleaned and dried to create a thin material resembling leather.
The researchers acted on the mushroom structurewith the help of temperature and various chemicals, mild enough to form the skin, but leave the parts of the fungus functional. The result is a material that resembles cowhide, in which dormant chlamydospores are left - small nodules on the mycelium that can come back to life and grow more thread-like material.
Having made holes in the skin, the researchers pouredmaterial with the same solution, rich in various elements, in which it was grown. As a result of this exposure, chlamydospores came to life. After some time, the mycelium filled the punctured holes. The study showed that although traces of the "repair" remained visible, the new material was as strong as the undamaged areas.
Researchers believe that in the future thisthe technology can be used to create leather goods that can recover from damage. But first you need to develop conditions for controlled growth of mushrooms, otherwise you can “go out into the rain and find mushrooms growing out of your jacket,” they add.
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Cover image: The original uploader was Lex vB at Dutch Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons