PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATIONS OF MYCELIUM-BASED COMPOSITES IN SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIALS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Mycelium-based composites (MBC) have garnered significant attention due to their potential to address the serious environmental and health issues caused by fossil-based materials. With this increasing awareness, the construction sector has shifted towards alternative solutions and initiated research on MBCs. However, since MBCs are still a relatively new research area, numerous unknown parameters are related to their production. To systematically examine this issue and create a transparent framework of scientific gaps, 90 publications from Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science (WOS) databases were analyzed. These publications were comprehensively reviewed, focusing on using MBCs as building materials. Factors affecting growth in producing these materials, such as fungal species and substrate types, were addressed. Results from tests assessing the material properties of mycelium-based composites were compiled and compared. Given the low strength and specific durability issues observed in MBCs, several unknown aspects related to their areas of application and usability remain. This study summarizes critical findings in the field and contributes to the literature by identifying research gaps that offer opportunities for future investigation.