This wide-scope talk will take us through some of the research conducted by the MIT Label Free Research Group with a specific focus on the coming Mycotecture opportunity in Mauritius using sugarcane agriwaste to generate mycofoods and carbon-negative composite materials.

Discussion will cover how we got to this, ranging from biophotovoltaics (using photosystem-I complexes to create solar panels) to stabilizing GPCRs on nanostructured semiconductors. We will cover bioelectronic nose applications of such biotechnologies rivalling the trained canine’s ability to diagnose cancers.

We will discuss the processes behind composite building materials via mycelium action on agriwaste and the work being done in our experimental outpost in Namibia and cover some of the recent activities of the Osmocosm and MycoHab Foundations at MIT and over the globe.

The intellectual connective tissues between these topics will be “label-free science” and include cases of spectacular failure and surprising success as discoveries become inventions, become MIT-associated startups and public-benefit foundations impacting the globe beyond just academia.