Fungi as collaborators for a biobased material future
Fungkee Supercoating investigates a key challenge in the transition to biobased materials: how can we protect them from water without compromising their biological end-of-life? Many emerging biomaterials still rely on fossil-based or PFAS-containing finishes that hinder biodegradability and circularity. Fungkee develops a 100% biobased, fungal-derived coating that aims to enhance water repellency while preserving compostability. The research explores two pathways: growing fungi directly onto biomaterial surfaces to form a protective layer, and extracting functional compounds produced by fungi to create sprayable or dip-applied coatings. Prototypes are tested on materials including seaweed-based panels, bioplastics and microbial cellulose.
Rather than treating fungi simply as a raw material, Fungkee explores them as active collaborators in the design process. Through bioprospecting, locally sourced fungal species are screened for naturally occurring water-repellent properties and surface-active compounds. By connecting this biological knowledge with material design, laboratory research and industry partners, Fungkee proposes a different way of developing material finishes: not by replacing one synthetic coating with another, but by learning from living systems to create regenerative solutions for a circular, biobased material industry.
