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Accepted manuscript

A Comprehensive Review of Parameters Influencing the Properties of Mycelium-Based Composites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2026

Andreas Biront*
Affiliation:
Research group Architectural Engineering, Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Rue des Palais 65/67, 1030 Brussel, Belgium
Patrick Van Dijck
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Botany and Microbiology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
Jan Wurm
Affiliation:
Research group Architectural Engineering, Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, Rue des Palais 65/67, 1030 Brussel, Belgium
*
*Author for correspondence. Email: andreas.biront@kuleuven.be
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Abstract

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Mycelium-based composites are part of an emerging group of biofabricated materials with potential for sustainable construction and interior applications. Their properties depend on fungal species, substrate composition, incubation conditions, and post-processing strategies, yet the relative influence and controllability of these parameters remain fragmented across the literature. This review systematically analyses 46 peer-reviewed studies to evaluate how externally controllable fabrication parameters affect mechanical, thermal, acoustic, and hygroscopic performance. The biofabrication workflow is structured into pre-processing, incubation, and post-processing stages, with particular emphasis on incubation as an underexplored design domain. While species and substrate strongly determine baseline performance, environmental and physical parameters applied during growth, such as moisture, temperature, aeration, and mechanical confinement, suggest potential opportunities for dynamic property tuning. By proposing incubation as an emerging opportunity for material programming, this review outlines pathways toward digitally controlled, functionally graded mycelium composites, contributing a structured framework for integrating biological growth into biodesign workflows.

Information

Type
Full Paper: Biodesign Conference
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press