Dress made of living mycelium can renew and repair itself

I wonder if there is a health hazard wearing this due to breathing in spores or toxins released into the air? Or perhaps there is a risk that the wearer will absorb harmful chemicals secreted by the mycelium via contact with the wearer's skin? Very interesting none the less. I have imagined humans making living clothes for a long time, so it is nice to see that idea materialize.

The claim in the article that saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) naturally produced the deep blue color in the butterfly example is not actually true, although it's a gorgeous effect.

These are genetically engineered variants of brewer's yeast designed to produce pigments.

I would buy one, but I don’t think I have mushroom in my wardrobe for it.

I put a load of washing on, then ended up in hospital for a year.

On return, the contents of the washing machine were pretty much this.

Neat. Wearing some hibernating Cordyceps clothes seems like a good way to speedrun some life-imitates-art The Last of Us gain of function research.

Cordyceps, huh? An interesting choice! And ironically the subject of an article on Ars Technica that just dropped...

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/parasitic-zombie-fun...

This would turn into a mould infested nightmare

How does it smell though?

Mr Stamets (both real AND fictional) must be proud as heck!

Could they make a house out of this?

Is there a possibility of the organisms escaping the material and infesting the environment? That's what I would worry about with mycelium.

Is there an adjective for something that's nifty but also gross?

> nutrient solution is applied over a hole, along with a small patch of fresh fungus

So, not repair itself.

Researchers in China have created a textile from living mycelium that is self-cleaning, near self-repairing and can be coloured or made UV protective through "plug-and-play" add-ons of different fungi or yeast.

near self-repairing

Pretty disgusting tbh.

It seems telling that none of the photos show anyone wearing it.

"Following drying at 45 degrees, the material is not quite living and not quite dead, but instead in a "low-metabolic, dormant-like state", Li told Dezeen, meaning it is not actively growing."

Don't think spores will be an issue since it's not the mycelium's sex organ mushroom that you're thinking of

Some people are very allergic to mushrooms. I wonder if that would extend to this.

But it's pretty cool.

> Or perhaps there is a risk that the wearer will absorb harmful chemicals secreted by the mycelium via contact with the wearer's skin?

Or just getting a bad itch.

It seems telling that none of the photos show anyone wearing it.

Neat. Wearing some hibernating Cordyceps clothes seems like a good way to speedrun some life-imitates-art The Last of Us gain of function research.

This would turn into a mould infested nightmare

How does it smell though?

I didn’t think of the smell at all, I was wondering what the feel was like. There’s a certain level of comfort that’s expected from clothing that matters. There’s also the question of breathability. Is it going to trap sweat and smells like polyester clothing?

probably smells like patchouli

Most people associate mushrooms and fungi with the smell of their substrate; they commonly don't have a strong smell themselves

I doubt it has a smell stronger than the wearer

edit: this is a bad take, upon further research

I put a load of washing on, then ended up in hospital for a year.

On return, the contents of the washing machine were pretty much this.

Cordyceps, huh? An interesting choice! And ironically the subject of an article on Ars Technica that just dropped...

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/parasitic-zombie-fun...

The claim in the article that saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) naturally produced the deep blue color in the butterfly example is not actually true, although it's a gorgeous effect.

These are genetically engineered variants of brewer's yeast designed to produce pigments.

I would buy one, but I don’t think I have mushroom in my wardrobe for it.

Mr Stamets (both real AND fictional) must be proud as heck!

near self-repairing

Is there a possibility of the organisms escaping the material and infesting the environment? That's what I would worry about with mycelium.

Pretty disgusting tbh.

Sounds like quite an ordeal, hope things are going well now.

Wow you weren’t kidding that’s a beautiful color

Is there an adjective for something that's nifty but also gross?

I'm not sure it's any more objectively gross than normal textile materials. Imagine you lived in a hairless, furless world where nothing like wool was a thing, and then suddenly we discovered a weird fluffy mammal that extruded long fibers out of its flesh; the people of that world might call that gross, we'd just call it ordinary.

Could they make a house out of this?

It doesn't seem to have the rigidity to be structurally sound for construction.

> nutrient solution is applied over a hole, along with a small patch of fresh fungus

So, not repair itself.

Exactly. You can place a patch with some glue over a hole in fabric to achieve the same thing in a traditional garment. Iron-on repair patches are also similar.

It's one thing to say "get it wet and leave it in the sun". It's another thing to require identical replacement material and nutrient slurry (I don't know about you, but I think I can source fabric glue more easily than potato water).

To be fair it only claimed "near self-repairing".

Does the fresh fungus need to be genetically identical? I read something about mycelial nuclei in high school and it was weird.

> Or perhaps there is a risk that the wearer will absorb harmful chemicals secreted by the mycelium via contact with the wearer's skin?

Or just getting a bad itch.

Some people are very allergic to mushrooms. I wonder if that would extend to this.

But it's pretty cool.

"Following drying at 45 degrees, the material is not quite living and not quite dead, but instead in a "low-metabolic, dormant-like state", Li told Dezeen, meaning it is not actively growing."

Don't think spores will be an issue since it's not the mycelium's sex organ mushroom that you're thinking of

It depends on the species. Some fungi like molds do directly sporulate from the mycelium.

probably smells like patchouli

Most people associate mushrooms and fungi with the smell of their substrate; they commonly don't have a strong smell themselves

I doubt it has a smell stronger than the wearer

edit: this is a bad take, upon further research

The mushroom smell isn't from either the substrate or respiration. That distinct odor is 1-octen-3-ol. Biochemists call it "mushroom alcohol." It's caused by enzymatic breakdown of their cell walls, and it thought to be related to signalling.

I doubt it would be strongly present here. The article says the mycelium are close to dormant.

You can actually purchase mushroom alcohol commercially as a food additive.

I've done cultures on agar agar and mycelium definitely does have a distinctive smell. To me it's reminiscent to the damp smell of a concrete basement, though less stale and unpleasant.

Chanterelles smell great. I would wear something that smelled like that.

Pine mushrooms, not so much.

Sounds like quite an ordeal, hope things are going well now.

Wow you weren’t kidding that’s a beautiful color

You can buy this color for 3€/meter at any weekend fabric market.

I'm guessing that the OP didn't know about the Ars article when they posted. Perhaps "serendipitously" would have been a better word?

Exactly. You can place a patch with some glue over a hole in fabric to achieve the same thing in a traditional garment. Iron-on repair patches are also similar.

It depends on the species. Some fungi like molds do directly sporulate from the mycelium.

It doesn't seem to have the rigidity to be structurally sound for construction.

my tent material doesn't have rigidity to it either. if we change out the word "house", it could be an interesting material to play with for other types of shelter. it's supposed to be hydrophobic, but how hydrophobic? a light spritz or spilled drink or holds up in the rain?

Does the fresh fungus need to be genetically identical? I read something about mycelial nuclei in high school and it was weird.

I guess they're just trying to get the networks to interlace, not to reconstitute into a single organism and be capable of nutrient exchange, so I don't think it matters if they're identical or not.

To be fair it only claimed "near self-repairing".

One could think of it as mostly self-repairing with some outside encouragement.

The headline is more ambitious, that's probably what they meant

Nope. "Dress made of living mycelium can renew and repair itself".

Chanterelles smell great. I would wear something that smelled like that.

Pine mushrooms, not so much.

I doubt it would be strongly present here. The article says the mycelium are close to dormant.

You can actually purchase mushroom alcohol commercially as a food additive.

I've done cultures on agar agar and mycelium definitely does have a distinctive smell. To me it's reminiscent to the damp smell of a concrete basement, though less stale and unpleasant.

I'm guessing that the OP didn't know about the Ars article when they posted. Perhaps "serendipitously" would have been a better word?

You can buy this color for 3€/meter at any weekend fabric market.

You could, but getting it from pigments in a chitinous matrix produced by genetically engineered brewer's yeast is just a little bit cooler.

Nope. "Dress made of living mycelium can renew and repair itself".

I guess they're just trying to get the networks to interlace, not to reconstitute into a single organism and be capable of nutrient exchange, so I don't think it matters if they're identical or not.

The headline is more ambitious, that's probably what they meant

One could think of it as mostly self-repairing with some outside encouragement.

You could, but getting it from pigments in a chitinous matrix produced by genetically engineered brewer's yeast is just a little bit cooler.

I think they're saying that's exactly what you're buying for 3€/yd.

No, I'm saying if the color is the only part you want, you can get it for cheap

Dress made from living mycelium textiles from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology

The breakthrough from the researchers at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology is a type of engineered living material (ELM) – a material built off living organisms that stay active even after they're fabricated into their final form.

This distinguishes it from most contemporary uses of mycelium, which involve drying and effectively killing the fungus to produce a stable, non-growing material that has become a popular emerging alternative to plastic packaging and vinyl.

Photo of a dark blue dress with white ruffles on the bottom hem, sitting on a mannequin

A dress has been made by Peelsphere using material from Ke Li and her colleagues

By working with living but dormant cordyceps militaris fungus instead, the researchers have been able to take advantage of its biological functions. The result is a material that is self-renewing and responsive to its environment, in ways that could one day transform architecture and clothing – as seen in a prototype dress created together with material innovation company Peelshere.

It can also be adapted by mixing in other fungi or yeast, lead researcher Ke Li and her team detail in a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.

In it, they describe a "programmable fungal platform" where mycelium is treated like a modular system, with the sheet material forming a base structure and extra biological abilities, such as colour and UV resistance, becoming "plug-and-play" add-ons via other organisms.

Photo of a hand holding a sheet of translucent, caramel-coloured leathery material that is in fact a fungal textile

The fungal textile is made in sheets

This gets their textile closer to the self-repair, environmental responsiveness and controllable functionality that is the promise of engineered living materials, they argue.

"While synthetic biology has greatly expanded the functional capabilities of ELMs, a persistent challenge lies in integrating autonomous structural assembly with sustained biological activity at macroscopic scales," the scientists write.

"Achieving such integration is essential for practical applications, from adaptive textiles to architectural biomaterials, where mechanical robustness, spatial uniformity and scalable fabrication must converge with engineered biological function."

The ELM's self-renewing and semi-repairing functionality comes from the mycelium base structure. Following drying at 45 degrees, the material is not quite living and not quite dead, but instead in a "low-metabolic, dormant-like state", Li told Dezeen, meaning it is not actively growing.

However, new growth can be triggered by applying a nutrient solution of potato water, leading the dormant mycelium to germinate, send out new fungal filaments and renew the material's surface.

When this nutrient solution is applied over a hole, along with a small patch of fresh fungus, it triggers the living cells to grow across the gap, seamlessly repairing the surface without any adhesives or stitching. The material is also naturally self-cleaning, as it is hydrophobic.

Photo of an ornamental butterfly made of wire with a translucent deep blue textile filling in its wings

Ke Li also demonstrated the material in self-pigmented blue on the wings of a butterfly ornament

The blue colour and UV resistance, meanwhile, come from brewer's yeast – also known as saccharomyces cerevisiae – and aspergillus niger fungus, respectively. These are mixed in with the cordyceps militaris at the beginning and simply co-cultured, avoiding the need for genetic engineering.

A prototype dress has been made out of the scientists' material by Berlin-based Peelshere, whose founder YouYang Song is a friend of Li's. Song developed the conceptual and aesthetic design of the dress, while her China-based colleague Ruochen Wang took care of the cutting and construction.

The dress features several versions of the material, including some co-cultured with brewer's yeast for the consistently self-pigmented blue shade in the body of the garment.

Photo of a square plant pot made of earthy brown leather-like material, holding a succulent

The material can also be shaped into structures like this box

Li told Dezeen that the material is suitable for applications such as conceptual fashion, accessories, decorative textile surfaces, exhibition pieces and biodegradable packaging.

"Its distinctive surface texture, biological colouring, controlled repair and biodegradability may be particularly useful in applications where visual expression and a defined product lifetime are important," she said.

"Further improvements in durability, moisture resistance, safety and manufacturing consistency would be needed before it could be considered for routine clothing or permanent architectural use."

Peelsphere's main product is a plant-based and waterproof leather alternative made of fruit peels and algae.

Photography by Ke Li.

Subscribe to our newsletters

Your email address

New! Dezeen Agenda US

Sent on alternate Fridays, this US edition of Dezeen Agenda is a fortnightly newsletter rounding up everything you need to know from America, featuring news, projects and interviews with industry figures. Plus occasional updates and invitations to Dezeen events.

New! Dezeen Showroom New Releases

A quarterly newsletter rounding up a selection of recently launched products by designers and studios, published on Dezeen Showroom. Dezeen Debate

Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly, is sent every Tuesday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. Plus occasional updates on Dezeen’s services and breaking news. Dezeen Agenda

Sent every Thursday and containing a selection of the most important news highlights. Plus occasional updates on Dezeen’s services and invitations to Dezeen events. Dezeen Daily

A daily newsletter containing the latest stories from Dezeen.

Dezeen In Depth

Sent on the last Friday of every month, Dezeen in Depth features original feature articles, interviews and opinion pieces that delve deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.

Dezeen Jobs

Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news.

Dezeen Jobs Weekly

Weekly updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. Plus occasional news.

Dezeen Awards

News about our Dezeen Awards programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates.

Dezeen Events Guide

News from Dezeen Events Guide, a listings guide covering the leading design-related events taking place around the world. Plus occasional updates and invitations to Dezeen events.

Dezeen Awards China

News about our Dezeen Awards China programme, including entry deadlines and announcements. Plus occasional updates.

We will only use your email address to send you the newsletters you have requested. We will never give your details to anyone else without your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email, or by emailing us at [email protected].

For more details, please see our privacy notice.

Thank you!

You will shortly receive a welcome email so please check your inbox.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every newsletter.

Hacker Times

Hacker Times

Dress made of living mycelium can renew and repair itself

Discussion

Discussion

Subscribe to our newsletters

Thank you!