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Researchers are exploring the remarkable potential of fungal biopolymers, such as chitin, to produce composites and nanomaterials for use in coatings, membranes, packaging and paper.

First isolated from mushrooms in 1811, chitin is the second most abundant natural biopolymer in the world. Usually sourced from the exoskeletons of crustaceans, it is used in paper manufacturing, as a food additive – and has a range of potential medical applications, such as in bandages or surgical thread.