bims-livmat Biomed News
on living materials
Issue of 2025–03–02
two papers selected by
Sara Trujillo Muñoz, Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien
  1. Living Fiber Dispersions from Mycelium as a New Sustainable Platform for Advanced Materials.
  2. Harnessing Gut Microbiota for Biomimetic Innovations in Health and Biotechnology.
  1. Adv Mater. 2025 Feb 25. e2418464
    Living Fiber Dispersions from Mycelium as a New Sustainable Platform for Advanced Materials.
    Ashutosh Sinha, Luiz G Greca, Nico Kummer, Ciatta Wobill, Carolina Reyes, Peter Fischer, Silvia Campioni, Gustav Nyström.
      Functional biopolymeric fibers are key building blocks for developing sustainable materials within the growing bioeconomy. However, their flexible use in emerging advanced materials with smart properties typically requires processing methods that may compromise sustainability. Here, a sustainable route to generate living fiber dispersions (LFD) from mycelium that combines the excellent material-forming properties of biopolymeric fibers, and the highly dynamic properties of living materials is proposed. This is showcased by using industrially available liquid culture and mechanical defibrillation methods to generate well-dispersed living mycelium fibers. These fibers can form materials where precursors with good dispersibility and network formation properties are paramount and can harness dynamic properties through growth even in the absence of added nutrients. This is demonstrated in unique living emulsions with 3.6x slower phase separation and in living films with 2.5x higher tensile strength upon growth, the latter vastly outperforming the strongest pure mycelium materials to date. Further, humidity can be used to modulate mechanical properties and to trigger the superhydrophobic patterning of substrates, mechanical actuation, and degradation of lignocellulosic consumer goods at their end of life. In the future, combining synthetic biology with this promising platform for smart materials can expand the horizons for sustainable material manufacturing.
    Keywords:  biopolymer fibers; living fibers; living materials; smart materials; sustainability
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202418464
  2. Biomimetics (Basel). 2025 Jan 24. pii: 73. [Epub ahead of print]10(2):
    Harnessing Gut Microbiota for Biomimetic Innovations in Health and Biotechnology.
    Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco, Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez.
      The gut microbiota is a complex and dynamic ecosystem that plays a fundamental role in human health by regulating immunity, metabolism, and the gut-brain axis. Beyond its critical physiological functions, it has emerged as a rich source of inspiration for biomimetic innovations in healthcare and biotechnology. This review explores the transformative potential of microbiota-based biomimetics, focusing on key biological mechanisms such as resilience, self-regulation, and quorum sensing. These mechanisms have inspired the development of innovative applications, including personalized probiotics, synbiotics, artificial microbiomes, bioinspired biosensors, and bioremediation systems. Such technologies aim to emulate and optimize the intricate functions of microbial ecosystems, addressing challenges in healthcare and environmental sustainability. The integration of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, bioengineering, and multi-omics approaches, has further accelerated the potential of microbiota biomimetics. These tools enable the development of precision therapies tailored to individual microbiota profiles, enhance the efficacy of diagnostic systems, and facilitate the design of environmentally sustainable solutions, such as waste-to-energy systems and bioremediation platforms. Emerging areas of innovation, including gut-on-chip models and synthetic biology, offer unprecedented opportunities for studying and applying microbiota principles in controlled environments. Despite these advancements, challenges remain. The replication of microbial complexity in artificial environments, ethical concerns regarding genetically engineered microorganisms, and equitable access to advanced therapies are critical hurdles that must be addressed. This review underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and public awareness in overcoming these barriers and ensuring the responsible development of microbiota-based solutions. By leveraging the principles of microbial ecosystems, microbiota biomimetics represents a promising frontier in healthcare and sustainability. This approach has the potential to revolutionize therapeutic strategies, redefine diagnostic tools, and address global challenges, paving the way for a more personalized, efficient, and sustainable future in medicine and biotechnology.
    Keywords:  artificial microbiomes; bioinspired therapies; biomimetics; biosensors; gut microbiota; intestinal health; microbiome innovation; microbiota–gut–brain axis; personalized medicine; probiotics and synbiotics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10020073
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