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SUMMARY:Opportunities in myco-materials by submerged fermentation
DTSTART:20221219T170000
DTEND:20221219T174500
DTSTAMP:20260506T180711Z
UID:9d66e9904be6cb4c9de9007dfcf5918ee2aca9d0b2ca288bbdaac899
CATEGORIES:Inaugural lectures - Honorary Lecture
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Tiffany Abitbol\nFungal biomaterials are based on the me
 tabolism of filamentous fungi\, which have evolved to decompose recalcitra
 nt biomass\, preventing soil\, forests\, and waterways from being overrun 
 with plant litter and animal tissue. In the laboratory\, myco-composites a
 re usually produced by solid fermentation\, a process based on the fungal 
 colonization of solid lignocellulosic substrates that are processed to a u
 niform size prior to inoculation. The fungi simultaneously digest and bind
  the lignocellulose elements\, forming a cohesive myco-composite that can 
 be grown to shape\, filling the space of its container. The end compositio
 n and properties of myco-composites fundamentally depend on the balance be
 tween decomposition and growth that is achieved before the material is har
 vested and growth is terminated. Although less common\, submerged fermenta
 tion can also be used to produce pure and composite fungal biomaterials. N
 ature vs. nurture is at play in fungal development\, with interactions bet
 ween genetics and the environment shaping material outcomes. In this talk\
 , I will use a specific example of nanocellulose-mycelium myco-composites 
 to highlight specific opportunities in the submerged fermentation of myco-
 materials and in the bioengineering of material properties through modific
 ations to the growth environment.\nBio: Tiffany Abitbol has a PhD in Chemi
 stry from Prof. Derek Gray’s group at McGill University\, working on cel
 lulosic nanocomposite films\, fibers\, hydrogels\, and colloids. After two
  postdocs\, one at McMaster University and a second at the Hebrew Universi
 ty of Jerusalem\, Tiffany moved to RISE Research Institutes of Sweden in 2
 017. As a senior researcher at RISE\, Tiffany participated in and led cros
 s-disciplinary commercially sponsored projects\, including in packaging\, 
 wound care\, food\, and personal care. At the same time\, she continued to
  engage in fundamental research centered mainly around nanocellulose and f
 ungal mycelium. Not that long ago\, in June 2022\, Tiffany started a profe
 ssor position at EPFL in the Institute of Materials through a Chair in Sus
 tainable Packaging\, co-funded by BASF\, Logitech\, Nestlé\, and SIG. Her
  group (Sustainable Materials Laboratory) continues to focus on cellulose 
 and other bio-based materials\, with an overarching aim of connecting comp
 osition and colloidal properties to the performance of engineered material
 s derived from renewable resources.\n 
LOCATION:ELA 1 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==ELA%201 https://epfl.zoom.us/j/
 62510444957
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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