FungiZap 2: Optimizing High-Voltage Treatments for Mycelium Inactivation

The transition to a circular and low-carbon economy calls for new, sustainable materials and cleaner production methods. Mycelium-based bio-composites—materials grown from fungal networks and agricultural waste—offer a biodegradable alternative to traditional insulation and packaging materials.
However, before these materials can be used, the fungal growth must be deactivated, typically through oven drying at high temperatures for many hours. This process is energy-intensive, time-consuming, and can damage material quality, creating a major barrier to industrial adoption.
The FungiZap 2 project builds on promising results from an earlier KIEM GoChem project, where highvoltage electrical treatments—Cold Plasma (CP) and Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF)—were tested as alternatives to conventional drying. These methods showed strong potential to deactivate fungi using much
less energy, but further testing is needed to determine the most effective combinations and how they affect different materials.
In FungiZap 2, researchers from Avans Hogeschool – MNEXT and TU Delft will work together with two industry partners: FC-i, a Dutch company developing mycelium-based insulation, and Smush Materials, an Italian startup producing packaging from fungal materials.Together, they will optimize electrical treatment parameters and explore hybrid methods that combine PEF/CP with lower-temperature drying. Samples will be tested for regrowth, structural damage (via microscopy), and material performance (e.g. thermal insulation and strength).
By developing energy-saving, scalable, and material-friendly alternatives to thermal drying, FungiZap 2 contributes to the industrial feasibility of mycelium-based materials. The results will support further upscaling, inform production design choices, and be shared through education, industry networks, and public communication channels.