Using Mycelium for the Packaging and Transportation of Fossils

Abstract

Despite surviving hundreds of thousands or even millions of years, fossils could be very brittle once unearthed. Insulation against outside elements is needed in order to protect the fossil on long trips from remote locations. Unchanged for decades, current fossil packing approaches rely on simple materials such as Plaster of Paris, toilet paper, and water, all in large amounts. While easily accessible, such materials also result in significant waste, are difficult to apply to the fossil, and also become difficult to remove. In this project, an alternative eco-friendly packing approach based on mycelium is proposed and evaluated. Mycelium is a part of a fungus that helps it absorb nutrients from its environment and usually comes in a thread-like mass. The mass is found in various forms and can be quite strong depending on the species. Unlike paper or Plaster of Paris, mycelium is a renewable material that has been shown sturdy enough to replace bricks in home construction. The experiment was conducted using 4 cups of Plaster of Paris and 4 cups of mycelium with a bone embedded into one of the cups from both materials to simulate the fossil. The mycelium cup was left for two weeks to grow and the materials were then evaluated in terms of their physical aspects. The weight, density, volume, and water resistance were experimentally determined. The experiment showed that while taking longer to create, the mycelium was lighter and less permeable than the Plaster of Paris. The use of mycelium both in fossil transportation and other applications could have great benefit for the climate, and could also be used as an affordable substitute for packing materials.