Jara Saluena Martin
Biography
Fascinated by fungi, Jara has long explored the untapped potential of fungal mycelium in the production of alternative materials for industrial applications. Throughout her career, she has utilized fungi to engineer various board-like, leather-like, and foam-like materials suitable for use in interior design, upholstery, footwear, food, and construction, among other manufacturing sectors. With a passion for scientific discovery, and a strong entrepreneurial mindset, Jara is invested in unravelling the physiological mechanisms underlying the diversity present in mycelium materials to diversify their capabilities. During her PhD, she will blend her experience with computational bioinformatics and material science to establishing a link between genetics and mechanical performance. Jara will investigate the effects of environmental parameters on fungal tissue morphogenesis to further inform the construction of a tailored manufacturing device for the biofabrication of materials with customizable performance. The results of this project will expand the field towards more accessible and reliable bioprocesses that yield the next generation mycelium materials.
Location
Pleinlaan 2
1050 Brussels
Belgium