Project description
Fungi for fashion answer call for eco-friendly fabrics
The mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of long, thread-like, interwoven structures. Such networks of fungal threads are remarkable. In fact, mycelia can be used to develop innovative products for several industries, ranging from pack(ag)ing to textile. This is particularly good news for the fashion industry, where sustainable and biodegradable textiles are a welcome addition to the modern 'fast fashion' wardrobe. The EU-funded MY-FI project will develop a new nonwoven fabric made of mycelium micro-fibres, with improved performance and reduced environmental impact in comparison to current commercially available fibres. The project will optimise and upscale new biofabrication protocols together with wet processing and material finishing. Its goal is to meet consumer demand for sustainable and eco-friendly textile products.
Objective
The aim of MY-FI is to provide the textile industry with a new nonwoven fabrics made of mycelium fibres, with improved performances and reduced environmental impact in comparison with current commercially available fibres. Mycelium fibres are obtained by fungal fermentation, starting from the residues of the textile indusrty, using a mild process and can be used to produce sustainable and performing nonwoven fabrics. Mycelium fibres indeed can extend the field of use of nonwoven fabrics to demanding or luxury applications. In virtue of their properties and aesthetics, mycelium fibres can be adopted, for example, in automotive or footwear applications that currently use animal leather as preferred material. In MY-FI new biofabrication protocols will be optimized and upscaled together with wet processing and material finishing to provide a set of innovative solutions to help the textile industry in facing the challenges posed by the complex megatrends that are quickly chagning markets and customers' lifestyles globally.
The mission of MY-FI is to develop a biobased textile, with advanced functionalities, sustainability and performance, achieving four high level goals:
1. empowering the textile industry to successfully face the challenges posed by the emerging global trends;
2. meet the consumer demand for new functional and sustainable textile products;
3. relief the environmental pressure related to the textile industry, developing a circular and biobased textile that does not generate microplastics.
4. engage the textile stakeholders and provide guidance to policymakers
Mycelium fabrics indeed are fully biobased and sustainable, obtained from circular value chains, widely customizable, highly performing, and can be produced using advanced manufacturing process. Thanks to these properties they have the potential to meet the market demands for sustainable and performing materials, allowing designers and brands to create more functional products.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineering
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringtextiles
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybioprocessing technologiesfermentation
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.2.4.3. - Supporting market development for bio-based products and processes
- H2020-EU.3.2.4.2. - Developing integrated biorefineries
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
21020 Inarzo
Italy
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.