Farm-to-buildings: upcycling mushroom farming waste to produce sustainable biomaterials

Principal investigators: Benay Gursoy Toykoc and John Pecchia

University: Pennsylvania State University

Industry partner: Phillips Mushroom Farms

This project explores the potential of cultivating mycelium-based composites using waste from local mushroom farms. Mycelium, the root structure of fungi, can be grown on organic residues to produce renewable and biodegradable biomaterials. These biomaterials offer a promising and sustainable alternative to conventional petrochemical-based building materials, aligning with the increasing demand for environmentally friendly solutions in the construction industry.

Pennsylvania produces two-thirds of the mushrooms grown in the United States. This presents a unique opportunity for this research. Mushroom production and mycelium-based material cultivation share similar growth processes and environmental requirements. In this project, we will partner with Phillips Mushroom Farms, the largest specialty mushroom grower in Pennsylvania, to repurpose their spent substrates—organic waste left over after mushroom harvest—into sustainable building materials. By leveraging the existing mushroom production pipelines and established workflows at these farms, we aim to produce mycelium-based composites more efficiently and effectively.