Maurizio Montalti

Inflatable Clean Lab

Portable mycelium research area

The Inflatable Clean Lab is a portable structure consisting of HEPA filters, a blower, and plastic material. When the Clean Lab needs to be used, it will be inflated with the same blower used to clean the air. Here we research how mycelium (the roots of mushrooms) can be used as a material in design and architecture. We believe mycelium will completely replace plastic.

Proposal
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Inflated Clean Lab model - The first Model of the Inflatable Clean Lab has been tested, and it works. With a computer fan we simulated the air flow of the real blower. Ana Isabel Garrido Sánchez, Erik Diekstra

We need to build a clean-sterile-room where we can operate with organic cultures, in safe conditions to avoid any possible source of contamination from potentially competitive micro-organisms. The clean-room will serve as the main essential tool to run a mushroom farm and an innovative material-research-lab, where we're going to use the mycelium (mushroom roots) as material for developing applications in the field of design/architecture.

The mushroom farm will need to be temperature and humidity controlled. The mushroom farm will not only be used to grow edible fruits, but particularly, to grow materials.

We have few options at the moment: the clean room could be either a similar structure to the one already realized at Mediamatic Bank, or an inflatable (hopspital/camp style).

In both cases we will need to use big HEPA filters + turbine (which we already have).

We need to get/build/realize:
- Autoclave
- Fridge (for spawn and cultures)
- Oven (for cooking material)
- Stainless steel surface (to mix substrates)
- Storage facilities
- Thermostat
- Air conditioning
- Humidification
- New pre-filters and plastic sheets to isolate the environment.
- Shelving
- Air ventilation system (convection)
- Floor insulation
- Water collection
- Sealed/isolated environments (preventing pests/ contamination/ variation of growth parameters)

Everybody can help. From people with scientific experience, to designers/artists/architects, to people interested in learning about the subject and developing strategies together.

Iedereen kan helpen. Van mensen met wetenschappelijke ervaring, tot ontwerpers/artiesten/architecten, tot mensen die in het onderwerp zijn geïnteresseerd en samen met ons strategieën willen bedenken. Iedereen is meer dan welkom!