Fig. 5: Hydrophobicity and durability of the MBCs.
a Pictures of MBC (U70_my and CG50_my) repelling water droplets (water dyed in blue) (scale bar is 5 mm). The contact angle θc is measured after 30 min. b Water absorption as a function of days for U70 scaffold and U70_my MBC (Data are presented as Mean value ± SD for n = 5 biologically independent mycelium samples). c Mass decrease (water release) and increase (water uptake) as a function of time for U70 scaffold and U70_my MBCs during cycling fluctuation of humidity (gray) (Data are presented as Mean value for n = 5 biologically independent mycelium samples). d Compressive strength over 300 days for U70_my MBCs left in different environmental conditions, when the mycelium is inactive (Data are presented as Mean value ± SD for n = 5 biologically independent mycelium samples). e Pictures of the U70_my MBCs left at different environment conditions on day 0 and day 300, when mycelium is inactive (scale bar is 10 mm). f Compressive strength of U70_my MBCs left outside the lab (OL) over 100 days, when the mycelium is still active and living (Data are presented as Mean value ± SD for n = 5 biologically independent mycelium samples). g Electron micrographs of the cut cross-section of unit cell walls of the MBC with active mycelium on different days showing the breakdown of the wood-PLA scaffold by the mycelium. Red arrow point to mycelium hyphae (scale bars are 10 μm).
