FUNGI MUTARIUM GROWING FOOD ON TOXIC WASTE Livin Studio has, in collaboration with Utrecht University, developed a novel fungi food product grown on (plastic) waste, a prototype to grow it and culinary tools to eat it. Please go to FUNGI CUTLERY to explore our culinary tools developed throughout this project. Fungi Mutarium is a prototype that grows edible fungal biomass, mainly the mycelium, as a novel food product. Fungi is cultivated on specifically designed agar shapes that the designers called "FU". Agar is a seaweed based gelatin substitute and acts, mixed with starch and sugar, as a nutrient base for the fungi. The "FUs" are filled with plastics. The fungi is then inserted, it digests the plastic and overgrows the whole substrate. The shape of the "FU" is designed so that it holds the plastic and to offer the fungi a lot of surface to grow on. Its shape has been developed inspired by mushrooms and other plants in nature. The user should be reminded of harvesting mushrooms in the wild when harvesting the "FUs". Its shape has been developed inspired by mushrooms and other plants in nature. The user should be reminded of harvesting mushrooms in the wild when harvesting the "FUs". 1) Plastic is UV treated in the "Activation Cylinder" placed on the bottom of the mutarium. UV light sterilizes the plastic and activates the degradation process of the plastic which makes it easier accessible for the fungi. 2) Plain „FU“ is placed in the mutarium´s Growth Sphere. This is done with pincers to work as sterile as possible. 3) UV-sterilized plastic is put into the „FU“, ready to be digested. 4)„Macerate“ (fungi sprouts in liquid nutrient solution) are extracted with a pipette from the Fungi Nursery. 5) Extracted macerate is dropped into the „FUs“ to ignite the growing process. 6) After a couple of weeks, the ready-grown „FU“ can be taken out to be prepared and eaten.
Read more: http://www.livinstudio.com/fungi-mutarium/ http://www.smithsonianmag.com/…/chow-down-plastic-eating-f…/ Livin Studio Utrecht University #plastic #recycle
Smithsonian Smithsonian Magazine credits of project: Katharina Unger and Julia Kaisinger for LIVIN Studio research partner: Utrecht University, Prof. Dr. Han Wösten, Kasia Lukasiewiecz

Photo: #01 Agar "FU" experiments in the laboratory
#02 FUNCTION:
1) Plastic is UV treated in the "Activation Cylinder" placed on the bottom of the mutarium. UV light sterilizes the plastic and activates the degradation process of the plastic which makes it easier accessible for the fungi.
2) Plain "FU" is placed in the mutarium´s Growth Sphere. This is done with pincers to work as sterile as possible.
3) UV-sterilized plastic is put into the „FU“, ready to be digested.
4)"Macerate" (fungi sprouts in liquid nutrient solution) are extracted with a pipette from the Fungi Nursery.
5) Extracted macerate is dropped into the „FUs“ to ignite the growing process.
6) After a couple of weeks, the ready-grown „FU“ can be taken out to be prepared and eaten.
#03 Process Sketch Modeling: Most of the design work was dealing with functionality of separation of fungal mass, plastics and substrate
#04 FUNGI CUTLERY
ETIQUETTE FOR NOVEL FOOD
#05 Fungi Cutlery was developed within the collaborative project "Fungi Mutarium" between Livin Studio and Utrecht University. It is designed specifically to eat agar "FUs", a novel food product based on agar (seaweed gelatin substitute) and fungi mycelium.
#06 DRIP DROPPER
#07 ROUND CHOPS
#09 Round Chops has two functions. It is used like chopsticks to take pieces as well as it is used as a holder for the FU. It is the most social one of the cutlery set, wanting you to hand over the FU on top to your dinner partner.
#10 HOLLKNIFE
#11 Conquer and cut the FU into pieces with the elegantly shaped hollknife. Don´t let the sauce go away either and soak it up through the straw function.
#12 MOON SPOON
#13 The shape of the moon spoon glides along your agar FU to reach even the tiniest fungi fruit bodies on it. It can also be loaded with the delicious agar „meat“.
#14 Fungi Mutarium is a prototype that grows edible fungal biomass, mainly the mycelium, as a novel food product. Fungi is cultivated on specifically designed agar shapes that the designers called "FU". Agar is a seaweed based gelatin substitute and acts, mixed with starch and sugar, as a nutrient base for the fungi. The "FUs" are filled with plastics. The fungi is then inserted, it digests the plastic and overgrows the whole substrate. The shape of the "FU" is designed so that it holds the plastic and to offer the fungi a lot of surface to grow on.

Its shape has been developed inspired by mushrooms and other plants in nature. The user should be reminded of harvesting mushrooms in the wild when harvesting the "FUs".
#15 Schemata of agar "FUs"
#16 "FU´ppetite" !
#17 WHY:
Food production has to be revolutionized and more technologies are needed to farm under extreme environmental conditions.
HOW:
Scientific research has shown that fungi can degrade toxic and persistent waste materials such as plastics, converting them into edible fungal biomass. We were working with fungi named Schizophyllum Commune and Pleurotus Ostreatus. They are found throughout the world and can be seen on a wide range of timbers and many other plant-based substrates virtually anywhere in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australia. Next to the property of digesting toxic waste materials, they are also commonly eaten.


As the fungi break down the plastic ingredients and don´t store them, like they do with metals, they are edible.
#18 Geographical Zones of Growth and Culinary Interest
#19 Elaborate experiments in the Utrecht University Lab
#20 Scratch the fungi off the wall of this sensual cutlery and simultaneously mix with the sweet or sour sauce that tops your favorite agar FU.