How fungi research at Lund University could revolutionise infrastructure repair

Much of the world's infrastructure is made of concrete, which presents a challenge when it cracks and needs repair. Traditional repair methods involve cutting away a large amount of material. Now researchers at Lund University are investigating an innovative solution: using fungi to mend concrete. This groundbreaking research got off the ground with a Sustainable Idea Exploration grant and support from LU Innovation.

HANBANG ZOU , a researcher at Functional Ecology, began with a few intriguing questions: Can fungi be used to repair concrete, and if so, why hasn't it been applied yet? And, what elements are still missing for this technology to become practical and widespread? He applied for a Sustainable Idea Exploration grant from Lund University's Sustainability Fund to explore this early-stage idea. The grant allowed him to start addressing the question in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, including a mycologist, an ecologist, an engineer and a specialist in civil engineering from Lund University. With 150,000 SEK in funding, they were able to hire an assistant to analyse potential fungi samples. This journey eventually led to 4 million SEK funding from Kamprad Stiftelsen and has resulted in a 1 million SEK grant from Sweden's Transport Administration (Trafikverket) to do a feasibility test.

"The Sustainable Idea Exploration funding allowed us to start the project. We were able to hire an assistant to start screening potential fungi candidates. We also got a lot of support from an innovation developer at LU Innovation, Lisa Evyr , who has played a big role in the project. She helped us with contacts both in the industry and with Trafikverket. Without her, we wouldn't have been able to get this far," said Hanbang Zou.

To get funding through the Sustainable Idea Exploration Grant, applications are evaluated on sustainability impact, novelty, connection to research, and feasibility. Sustainability is prioritised, and projects should fit within the grant scope, focusing on early-stage research ideas.

The project was deemed a good fit for funding, since the production of concrete requires large amounts of energy and causes atmospheric pollution, both in the form of hazardous dust as well as CO2. For infrastructure repairs, current methods require both significant material and manpower.

"If a crack in a bridge or tunnel exceeds a certain size, typically they don't just patch it," explains Zou. "They must remove the damaged material, expose the rebar, and recast the entire area. This process demands a lot of work and materials. We hope that by working with fungi, we can address these cracks earlier and save time and material costs. We also see potential for using this fungi innovation when trying to use recycled concrete in new construction."

A major success factor has been the interdisciplinary nature of the project. "If someone works in only one field, their approach to problems risks being very narrow," Zou explains. "Interdisciplinary work like this really allows us to bridge theory and practice, combining new ideas and providing novel solutions to problems. I tell my students that this type of collaboration is the future. I hope it can inspire others to apply their expertise in different fields and create innovative ideas."

About Sustainable Idea Exploration

Sustainable Idea Exploration is a Call open to researchers and doctoral students at Lund University, who would like to investigate the innovative potential of their research. The current call is open from January 15-February 28th, 2025. Interested in applying? Read more and apply on LU Innovation's website.

The interdisciplinary team behind the research

The research work draws on a large interdisciplinary team from Lund University. Top picture from (from left) Lars Wads? , Division of Building Materials, Dimitrios Floudas, HANBANG ZOU , and Edith Hammer , Functional Ecology. Also, part of the project: Pelle Ohlsson, Department of Biomedical Engineering, as well as Martí Pla i Ferriol , Functional Ecology.