Desired Outcomes of this Project (alternative)

Design a system to grow and harvest mycelium to manufacture biodegradable materials as replacement for plastic.

Description

Mycelium is the network of root-like structures that form the vegetative part of mushrooms and other fungi. It is available in abundance in nature and plays a vital role in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They decompose plant material, contribute to the organic fraction of soil, and their growth releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

Mycelium can be harvested as a byproduct of growing mushrooms. It is used in many applications and industries such as clothing and fashion, packaging, tableware, 3D print material, as well as bricks for building and construction.

Why this is Important

Plastic production around the world is increasing, leading to a global plastic pollution. Plastics take decades and sometimes even centuries to degrade. The biggest impact and damage of plastics is to the environment we live in. The need for an innovative solution to reduce this pollution is inevitable.

Mycelium can be used to produce eco-friendly materials that can be used for a variety of applications.

What this project needs to move forward

A team of highly talented, skilled and motivated people who can hit the ground running. We need these skills to move this project forward:

Mycology/Botany Majors - Contributors with a passion for cultivating and harvesting algae and microalgae.
Marine Biology Majors - Contributors with a sharp sense to study and preserve marine biology and eco-system.
Architect/Structural Engineer - Contributors who are highly skilled in structural design. Ideally, this person must be able to plan and collaborate with the team to build algal channels to cultivate and grow algae.

Incentives

Highlights of working on this project

Collaborate with talented people from different domains and areas of study and expertise
Build a strong team with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds
Learn project management, project reporting, delivery cycles
Work in a highly energized environment that focuses on high quality product development
Discover, learn, innovate, and invent new ways for preserving and growing marine life
Have fun in a super charged team of professionals students, collaborators, sponsors

For Contributors

Remuneration - This is not a sponsored project. You will get credits, honorable mentions and a Certificate of Contribution from Ocean Builders.
Learning - This project offers you opportunities to learn about this concept/topic/technology. You will get to collaborate and work with industry experts and professionals who will share their experiences and guide you along with their best practices.
Culture - Work with people from different backgrounds, cultures, nationalities and get exposure to working on cross-functional and virtual teams.
Get Your Hands Dirty - Roll up your sleeves and get practical on this project. Experience the joy of designing or building a machine/system/device that will be used by millions of people worldwide. If you are not co-located, video conference with your team and collaborate.
Build and Grow your Professional Network - Collaborate on this project, make friends, and grow your professional network.

For Sponsors

Top Talent - Work with talented people and find new recruits for your business as you see this project take shape.
Goodwill - Get positive goodwill for your brand as a sponsor who is building something innovating and contributing to the future.
Personal and Business Use - Use this system and technology for your home/boat/ship/company/organization
Branding - Brand it with your organization identity.
Monetize - Invest in his project and take it to market with your brand identity

For Users

Get involved in the design phase and share your thoughts on how you would use this product or technology in your daily lives.
Give feedback at regular intervals and development stages to help this team to design and build a user-friendly system or technology.
Work with people from different countries, cultures, backgrounds and experiences. It's fun!

Academia

Get Recognition - Participate as an academician/student and contribute to research papers, college projects and participate in local, state, national, and international academic or technical conferences. Present papers on the innovations and advancements that have been made.

All of the above

Ocean Builders invites you to be a part of this project. You can be a sponsor, a contributor, a user, an academician AND you can be all of the above.