Overview: A Living Material with Healing Potential
Scientists are exploring a bold idea: could living fungi be transformed into hydrogels that help repair human tissue? Researchers at the University of Utah are investigating a soil-dwelling mold, Marquandomyces marquandii, as a candidate for a bio-integrated hydrogel—an engineered material that combines the adaptability of living organisms with the stability of synthetic networks. If successful, such hydrogels could become versatile scaffolds for tissue regeneration, wound healing, and even wearable bio-devices.
What Makes Fungal Hydrogels Special
Hydrogels are networks of water-rich polymers that resemble the viscoelastic properties of soft tissues like skin and cartilage. Traditional hydrogels often struggle with brittleness or rapid dehydration, limiting their biomedical use. The Utah team, led by Atul Agrawal and collaborators, reports that M. marquandii forms a multilayered hydrogel when grown under stationary, submerged liquid fermentation. This structure can retain up to 83 percent water, a critical feature for cushioning and supporting cells in biomedical applications.
The Living Structure Within
What distinguishes this work is the presence of mycelium—the fibrous, filamentous network that underpins fungal growth. Unlike mushrooms or visible mold, mycelium is the primary grid of the organism, laying down cross-walls to partition long filaments into multiple cells. This natural packaging creates a tunable, porous matrix with layers that differ in porosity: around 40 percent in the top layer, alternating with 90 percent and 70 percent porosity in deeper or neighboring bands. These layered pores can influence how cells migrate, how nutrients diffuse, and how mechanical load is distributed within the gel.
Controlling Structure Through Growth Conditions
According to lead author Atul Agrawal, the multilayer architecture is not incidental. It arises from how the fungus grows, especially where it meets the surface of the growth medium. The surface-adjacent region may prioritize sideways expansion, resulting in distinct porosity. This insight offers a practical lever: by adjusting oxygen levels, temperature, and nutrient supply, scientists could tailor a hydrogel’s microstructure for specific biomedical tasks, from cartilage repair to soft-tissue engineering.
Why Chitin Matters
The material making up the fungal mycelium is largely chitin, a biocompatible substance also found in seashells and insect exoskeletons. Chitin’s biocompatibility is a plus for medical applications, reducing the risk of adverse tissue reactions. Moreover, its sponge-like properties create a resilient, elastic scaffold that could support cell growth while withstanding physiological stresses.
Potential, Not Yet Practical
While the concept is exciting, a realistic timeline remains long. The idea of using mushroom-based skin for burns or fungi-grown hip replacements is not imminent. M. marquandii is not known to be harmful to humans, but animal studies have raised concerns about rare allergic responses to mold-derived chitin. Researchers emphasize caution and extensive testing before any clinical use. In parallel, the same fungal material could find broader, safer applications, such as plant growth enhancement or non-clinical tissue engineering models, until the technology matures for human medicine.
What the Researchers Say
“Hydrogels are regarded as a promising alternative for applications in tissue regeneration and engineering, cell culture scaffolds, cell bioreactors, and wearable devices, owing to their ability to closely mimic the viscoelastic properties of soft tissues,” notes lead author Atul Agrawal. Colleague Steven Naleway adds, “Mycelium is made primarily out of chitin… it’s biocompatible, but also it’s this highly spongy tissue.” The team highlights the potential dual use: as a biomedical template or, with minerals added, as a bone scaffold.
Looking Ahead
In time, bio-integrated hydrogels from living fungi could become part of a new class of biomaterials that bridge living tissue with engineered devices. The concept aligns with a broader push in regenerative medicine toward materials that not only support healing but actively participate in the repair process. The next steps will involve refining growth protocols, testing mechanical performance under physiological conditions, and assessing safety in relevant models.
Bottom Line
Marquandomyces marquandii could help unlock a future where living, tunable hydrogels serve as customizable scaffolds for tissue engineering and wound healing. While practical medical use is years away, this research opens a promising line of inquiry into how fungi-inspired materials might one day support human health.
