MUSE: MyceliUm SEat 

Funded by Land Tirol / Land Tirol Wissenschaftsförderung

The research project MUSE – MyceliUm SEat aims to develop innovative mycelium-based material systems to advance sustainable interior design. It seeks to create a grown material based on mycelium and composite material systems to design a catalog of furniture products that can withstand the demands of daily use. The challenge is to develop a durable and stable mycelium-based material that meets the rigors of everyday life. The project responds to the rapid development of mycelium-based products and focuses on creating a material suitable for commercial use and has the potential to translate research findings into product development and promote sustainable businesses.

MUSE is an interdisciplinary, two-year research project that combines Integrative Design, Biology, and Engineering and is funded by the Science Fund of Tyrol.

Research Team:

Project lead:  

Prof. Dr. Barbara Imhof, lead of the Integrative Design / EXTREMES, at the Institute of Experimental Architecture at UIBK,

Ph.D. Candidate Natalia Piorecka, with expertise in mycelium-based products and 3D printing,

Mag. Dr., Judith Ascher-Jenull, Postdoc Senior Scientist

Student Assistants: Henning Dörfler, Irina Radeva

Partner: Mark Stüttler, MRCA Mushroom Research Center Austria GmbH.

Partner: Daniel Feuerstein, Campus Tirol Motorsport Team, UIBK.

Partner: Günter Scheide - Transfer Office UIBK.

Advisory Board: Milena Stavriz, TU - Graz, Institute of Architecture and Media.

Integrative Design / EXTREMES   Faculty of Experimental Architecture, University of Innsbruck