Structural Anisotropy-Induced Tensile Stiffening of Fungal Mycelial Networks

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide We investigate the effect of hyphal orientation on the tensile properties of mycelium films. Hyphal alignment was achieved by exploiting the inherent negative autotropism of fungal growth. Orientation analysis from optical imaging of hyphal apical tips confirmed successful control of directional growth, with unidirectional mycelial films exhibiting a high degree of alignment. The resulting aligned mycelial sheets displayed higher tensile strength, tensile index, and Young’s modulus compared to samples with randomly oriented hyphae. These findings highlight the potential of directional fungal growth control as a biofabrication strategy for tailoring the structure and mechanical anisotropy of mycelium-based materials.