Nutrient-Enriched Soil Inks for 3D-Printed, Self-Healing Living Materials
Description
This study develops nutrient-enriched soil composite inks for 3D printing, followed by mycelium colonization to create large-scale, mycelium-based living building materials (LBMs). The research focuses on enhancing the properties of 3D-printed soil composites by utilizing mycelial hyphal networks to create sustainable construction solutions. A primary challenge lies in calibrating the nutrient levels to support mycelium growth while ensuring the admixture remains printable and suitable for sustaining mycelial development. The study assesses the effects of malt extract agar (MEA) as an additive in soil composites, examining its impact on mycelium growth, water-related properties, and self-regenerative capabilities.
Findings indicate that soil composites containing 10 wt% MEA supports balanced mycelium growth across aerial, surface, and penetrative levels. Mycelial networks within the soil composite ink improve water-related properties, enhance structural integrity, and reduce shrinkage compared to composites without mycelium. Furthermore, the mycelium-soil composite demonstrates self-regenerative capabilities by bridging gaps created within the samples. This research contributes to the advancement of LBMs for sustainable earth-based construction, utilizing the inert properties of mycelium to enhance soil characteristics for 3D printing.
This research has been published in the journal Materials & Design: Nutrient-enriched soil inks for 3D-printed mycelium-based living building materials.
Venue
Materials & Design (2025)
Role
Project Lead, computational design, material investigation, and biofabrication
Design Method
Computational Design (Grasshopper Workflows), parametric print geometry to robotic soil-printing toolpaths in Rhino/Grasshopper
Fabrication Process
Additive Manufacturing (Paste / Ink Extrusion; Soil Printing)
Building Material
Mineral Composite (Nutrient-Enriched Soil-Based Ink; Malt Extract Agar additive); Biogenic Additive (Mycelium: Ganoderma lucidum)
Construction System
Printed Component (Soil-Composite Specimens)
Environmental System
Self-Healing (Mycelium Regeneration; Gap-Bridging)
Project Team
Ehsan Baharlou
Student Research Assistants
Ipsita Datta, Paul Bourdin and Alexandra Daley
Image Credit
Ehsan Baharlou, CT.lab, University of Virginia, 2025