New Zealand startup Sapro-Tech has discovered a method of growing the fungus into a fabric which has the same qualities similar to leather. According to its founder Keith Hudson, it had found a method to create mycelia layers that can be cultivated into sheets. This would allow Sapro-Tech to produce a wide range of materials that are better-quality, more durable and more like natural leather than the existing products.

Hudson: “They both have fibers inside the fibres. In the case of leather there is collagen protein. In mycelium, there are carbohydrates that are derived from cell walls. In essence, you get similar large polymer molecules. The same tensile strength as well as other qualities like leather that makes it more durable.”

The company is currently looking to build connections with the players of the leather and handbag market.

Source: stuff.co.nz