The biomaterials company is launching its newest platform at SynBioBeta 2018; new mycelium platform supports applications in apparel, beauty, food and medtech.
Troy, New York, October 2, 2018--Ecovative, the New York-based biomaterials company, today announced the launch of MycoFlex™, its next generation mycelium biofabrication platform for performance materials. Now available for commercial use, MycoFlex™ enables companies to design, prototype and manufacture mycelium-based materials at scale.
Mycelium, the base of all Ecovative materials, is the root structure of mushrooms. Composed of natural polymers, mycelium has recently drawn the attention of the polymer industry for its remarkable strength, flexibility and durability. When produced in controlled conditions, mycelium polymers can offer superior performance properties compared to the polymers found in more commonly known materials such as plastics, resins or leather.
Through an industrial biofabrication process, the MycoFlex™ platform produces high-performance, pure mycelium structure. Once produced, the mycelium can be tailored into a variety of end materials, ranging from performance foams for footwear and apparel to cellular scaffolding for lab grown meat. Ecovative licensee Bolt Threads debuted the first product using MycoFlex™ technology, a mycelium leather-like material named Mylo, in April 2018.
“From the day we first started Ecovative ten years ago, we have been dreaming of introducing a pure mycelium platform, and are immensely proud that MycoFlex™ is here at last,” said Ecovative CEO Eben Bayer. “The future of materials is going to be grown - biofabricated - and mycelium and its extraordinary ability to assemble itself into complex structures is what will enable us to take biofabrication to the next level of performance. Our MycoFlex™ platform is the next step in humanities long journey harnessing natural technology.”
MycoFlex™ is the company’s second generation platform, and builds off ten years of manufacturing and design expertise developed for Ecovative’s mycelium composite platform. This platform, which is available to small scale users through enterprise customers throughout the world, yields composite materials for applications in industrial and consumer packaging, insulation, acoustics and beyond.
Ecovative announced the new platform at SynBioBeta 2018: the Global Synthetic Biology Summit in San Francisco.
About Ecovative
Ecovative is the New York-based biotech company pioneering mycelium biofabrication. Founded in 2007, Ecovative’s mission is to create next generation materials through mycelium biofabrication and to make mycelium materials accessible to everyone. The company’s MycoComposite™ and MycoFlex™ platforms are used to produce mycelium-based products for both consumer and industrial uses. From bespoke local producers to industrial scale facilities, Ecovative helps people around the world grow better materials for everyday needs. To learn more, visit http://ecovativedesign.com/.
