It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel: a home grown from fungus and kept alive by bacteria. But researchers in Montana are making serious strides toward turning this fantasy into a sustainable reality.
In a groundbreaking new study, scientists cultivated mycelium—the root-like structure of fungi—as the base for a living, self-healing building material. When paired with a bacteria called Sporosarcina pasteurii, which produces calcium carbonate (the same stuff found in seashells and coral), the once-squishy mycelium stiffened into a bone-like material. Think of it as nature’s version of concrete, minus the 8% of global CO₂ emissions that cement manufacturing dumps into the atmosphere each year.
Here’s where it gets wild: this material isn’t just strong—it’s alive. The bacteria remain active for weeks, possibly months, opening the door to buildings that could one day repair their own cracks or even “sense” their environment. Imagine walls that light up to signal poor air quality.
But don’t pack your bags for your mushroom mansion. These fungal bricks aren’t strong enough to replace traditional materials—yet. More testing is needed to ensure durability, load-bearing strength, and long-term safety (dead mycelium poses less of an allergy risk, but it’s still under review).
Still, this is no small spore of progress. These living materials may one day be ideal for low-rise buildings, fences, or modular eco-homes. As Dr. Chelsea Heveran, lead researcher, put it: “We asked, ‘What if we could build using biology instead of industry?’”
In other words, the next generation of green homes might literally grow on us.
