Invited Presentation, Building with Mushrooms at the Extremes: Design of Mycelium Biocomposite Construction Materials for Arctic Environments with Dr. Philippe Amstislavski

Extreme environments place stringent demands on materials used in building construction and thermal insulation for a wide range of industries. In Arctic communities, geographic remoteness leads to fragile supply chains, energy-intensive production and transportation, and unavoidable end-of-life impacts. Climate change further intensifies these demands. This seminar presents fungal biotechnology as an alternative to traditional building materials to address these challenges to human and planetary health.

In particular, foamed mycelium biocomposite thermal insulation is presented as a scaled case study for direct integration into Alaskan homes. These materials have been developed as heavily insulating, robust, fire-resistant alternatives to traditional insulation. During this seminar, we will share applied projects that utilize these properties, including the “MyCell” wall system and the cold-chain “CoFoam” cooler for seafood and medicines shipping. Each of these deployments explore the integration of carbon storage, thermal regulation, and economic circularity. Particular attention is given to Arctic coastal communities, where microplastics pollution, traditional subsistence, thermal stress, and community vulnerability intersect. Additionally, we will discuss how genetic and process engineering can enable greater control over fungal growth properties including chitin production, hyphal morphology, microstructure, and cell-wall strength.