Self-Repairing Clothes: The Future of Fashion

Researchers from Newcastle University and Northumbria University have developed a biodegradable, wearable material made from the root-like threads of fungi that can repair itself. The material, produced from the Ganoderma lucidum fungus, could be used as a substitute for leather and has potential applications in furniture, automotive seats, and fashionwear. The process of creating the material needs to be scaled up and sped up before it can be used in clothing. The material is made from a mix of mycelia, chlamydospores, carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients in a liquid that encourages the growth of a skin that can be removed and dried.