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Building homes on the moon from a material made of fungi: it may seem futuristic, and it certainly won’t happen in the near future, but the first steps have been taken. Since 1 September, Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� microbiologist Han Wösten has been collaborating with the European Space Agency (ESA) to manufacture biomaterials for use in space. The design studio Officina Corpuscoli, which has worked with Wösten before on the design of usable objects made of fungi, also participates in the programme.

Wösten’s research group develops new, sustainable materials made with fungi. These so-called ‘biocomposites’ are made from the network of long filaments, called mycelium, that these fungi form. The characteristics of this material, such as its rigidity, elasticity or heat tolerance, can vary depending on the type of fungus used and the raw material upon which they grow. But scientists can also genetically modify the fungi to create materials with different characteristics. This has already produced biocomposites that the designers used to create a dress, a chair and a plant pot.

Extreme conditions

Prof. Wösten now wants to expand that knowledge of materials into space. To do so, he collaborates with the ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team. Initially, their research will focus on the growth of fungi under extreme conditions. “We want to design fungi that are better able to survive in space”, says Wösten. He also wants to find out which organic material is most suitable for growing and producing fungal materials on other planets. This should eventually result in a biocomposite that can be used to build houses. “A kind of brick, if you will”, according to Wösten.

“Generating the material and building the structures will have to be done entirely by robots”, Wösten says. So technical research into robotics is also part of the partnership with ESA and Officina Corpuscoli.

Travel light

Wösten: “Future space expeditions will have to take as little as possible with them from Earth. If they can create building materials on location using fungi, then the astronauts will only have to take a few fungus spores along with them with the size of a pin-head.”