We like to demonstrate the power of synthetic biology here at SynBioBeta, so we’ve decided to cover our stage with mushrooms. Most of our readers are probably blinking slightly at the moment, and thinking: “what?” Never fear, the SynBioBeta conference won’t be dark and humid, we won’t be spreading spores everywhere, and the only magic will be coming from the excellent speakers and networking opportunities! Instead, we’ll be using some of the latest products developed by Ecovative Design, a New York-based material science company that produces high performing and cost effective biobased resins, biocomposites, and foam-like materials using mycelium.Ecovative are pioneers in the use of mycelium, the mass of threadlike hyphae which are produced by fungus in their vegetative stage. Think of the fluffy, furry bits of the fungus when your fruit gets too old. A nuisance in the home, but exceptionally useful outside – they help to degrade plant matter for other organisms, create compost, and help plants to grow. And, handily, the hyphae are both structurally strong and a bit ‘sticky’, which means that Ecovative can use them as a ‘biological glue’. As the mycelia infiltrate and grow through material such as agricultural waste, they are able to hold it together in a set, moldable shape, allowing formation of products such as fibreboard and packaging.So how will our stage be covered in mushrooms, exactly? Well, let’s start with the chairs, the ones that our speakers and discussion groups will be enjoying. These chairs come from office furniture professionals Gunlocke, more specifically their Savor line, and use Ecovative’s Myco Board for back support. Myco Board, a renewable fibreboard replacement, is strong and light enough to easily be used in roles such as this.

Gunlocke’s Savor brand of chairs utilise Ecovative materials.What else? The main stage display will be grown by Ecovative. The stage display, designed by Jeff Betts, will feature 140 low density Mushroom Material tiles that highlight the artwork of Hugo Teixeira. The images will be laser engraved across the white foam-like tiles and assembled using a zero waste process with all repurposed materials. The stage will also feature large letters made of the Mushroom Material which have been cut to shape out of existing panels using water jet technology.

Ecovative employees constructing the SynBioBeta stage letters (source: Ecovative)

What is Mushroom Material?

Formed from agricultural waste and mycelium binders, it acts as a lightweight replacement for Styrofoam packaging materials. Renewable and simple to mould, it is already in use by companies as diverse as Dell and Merck Forest Centre. We’re taking the idea and running with it, using Myco Foam as an environmentally friendly way to keep our conference stage looking good. Moreover, all of these products are biodegradable, which allows SynBioBeta to minimise the environmental cost of the conference.

Grow your own desk

The collaboration between SynBioBeta and Ecovative isn’t limited to stage materials, of course, regardless of how nice they look. SynBioBeta will also be hosting a workshop, run by Ecovative, covering the topic of growing your own biomaterials. Ecovative has been active in this area for a while now, selling Myco Make Grow It Yourself kits to the public.Ever wanted to form your own furniture, lighting, or even a wedding dress? Myco Make allows you to do so relatively easily, provided that you can make the correct mould for your desired object. By doing this, Ecovative provides a simple entry into manufacturing products from their mycelium technology, which in turn helps to gather customers for larger collaborations.It’s this openness towards new uses of synthetic biology which makes Ecovative so interesting, and lies behind our interest in working together with this company. We’re looking forward to having Ecovative stage materials at our upcoming SynBioBeta SF 2015 conference, and also to hearing their founder, Eben Bayer, speaking in one of our sessions.