A research team from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) has developed bio-boards from fungal tissue to replace commercially used synthetic shipping insulation. The product, named Rhizoform, is aimed at replacing the styrofoam boards used to ship fish. 

Formed in 2016, Rhizoform LLC is a part of Seawolf Holdings LLC, a commercialization and venture fund structure for student research at the UAA. A grant of $25000 from the UAA Innovative Grant and Conoco-Philips Science and Engineering Endowment was provided as seed money in 2015 to launch the research. 

The bio-based foam boards are produced from fungal biomass and are aimed at offering a renewable and biodegradable alternative to traditionally used insulation foams. Rhizoform is cost-effective, carbon-neutral and sustainable. 

Rhizoform's patent-pending technology produces bio-boards by initiating a dense growth of fungal biomass on a 3D printed scaffold generated from forest by-products. The scaffold provides nutrition to the fungi aiding growth, post which the composite is incubated and dried before application.

Rhizoform offers multiple advantages:

• Eco-Friendly: produced from fully renewable sources with minimal energy input
• Sustainable: fully biodegradable
• Waste-Free: does not generate any plastic waste 
• Durable: can survive in a variety of environments
• Cost-Effective: cost-competitive with synthetic foams
• Versatile: can be customized according to shape and R-value

Prototypes of Rhizoform have been developed and were set to be tested as insulated shipping containers for fish by the end of August 2019. Companies participating in the testing include Su Salmon Co. and Kodiak Wild Source. 

Post successful testing, the prototypes will be scaled up for mass production. 

Rhizoform can also be used in a number of applications including packaging, piping insulation, wall and roof insulation and road underlayment among others. 

Rhizoform LLC was named one of the 36 best University Startups of 2016 by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer.