An Insigneo-led team, headed by Dr Thomas Paterson in the School of Clinical Dentistry, has received opportunity seed funding from the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) for a project titled Adapting Non-Pathogenic Fungal Networks Toward Next-Generation Neural Interfaces.
The team, which includes Insigneo members Dr Joey Shepherd, Dr John Hinchliffe, and Dr Milena De Felice, are exploring whether fungal networks could be used in brain–machine interfaces.
Neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders are the leading cause of global ill health and disability, incurring an annual economic cost exceeding $1.7 trillion in Europe and the USA.
Current neurotechnologies often rely on rigid implants, requiring invasive surgery and risking damage to brain tissue. Instead, the team will test whether non-pathogenic filamentous fungi can coexist with brain cells in laboratory models, while also exploring approaches to make fungal networks electrically conductive.
Ultimately, their aim is to develop bio-based materials that grow naturally into soft and flexible interfaces, potentially transforming brain technologies to be safer and more accessible.
ARIA’s Scalable Neural Interfaces opportunity space supports exploratory research into new materials and approaches for interfacing with the nervous system. Opportunity Seeds provide early-stage funding for ambitious projects aligned to these aims, with awards of up to £500k.
