Fungi tested as space building blocks for moon and Mars

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 30, 2026
Luna Labs has selected University of North Carolina at Greensboro chemistry professor Nicholas Oberlies to lead a NASA-funded study of fungi as potential construction materials for future missions to the moon and Mars. The project examines whether fungal growth combined with local regolith could form durable structural elements for off-world habitats.

The team aims to determine if specific fungi can grow on a mixture of planetary regolith and simulated human waste to create a solid composite. In this approach, fungal hyphae form a dense network that binds the regolith particles together into a material that can then be sterilized and compressed into brick-like units.

Oberlies notes that shipping conventional building materials from Earth is unrealistic for large-scale construction in space. The work supports in-situ resource utilization strategies, which seek to rely on local materials and closed-loop recycling to sustain long-term human presence on the moon and Mars.

The researchers will evaluate shelf fungi and other species known for their rigidity as candidates for these bio-derived building blocks. Oberlies points out that common bracket fungi seen growing like steps on tree trunks in forests demonstrate considerable strength and stability, making them promising subjects for the study.

Luna Labs, based in Charlottesville, Virginia, contributes expertise in advanced materials testing and structural analysis to the project. The company will measure mechanical properties such as strength and compressive performance of the fungal-regolith composites produced in the UNCG laboratory.

Oberlies and his group bring experience in fungal ecology and cultivation, identifying which species are most suitable and how to grow them efficiently under controlled conditions. His laboratory is best known for investigating bioactive compounds from fungi, but this collaboration extends that knowledge into space-related materials research.

Oberlies describes the NASA-supported effort as an opportunity to apply fundamental mycology to an emerging challenge in human space exploration. He adds that contributing to a program that may eventually support habitats on the moon or Mars is particularly appealing to scientists who grew up inspired by science fiction.

The study is funded through a NASA Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer grant that runs through June 30, 2026. The exploratory work reflects broader planning for missions that will require innovative, sustainable methods for building and living far from Earth.