Fungal Solid-state Fermentation and Mycelium Composites

Fungal solid-state fermentation (SSF) is crucial in the food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries, offering a compelling alternative to liquid-based submerged fermentation (SmF). SSF is distinguished by its ability to produce faster growth rates and thicker, more robust products at reduced costs and lower contamination risks. These advantages make SSF particularly suitable for applications that require technical manufacturing simplicity and adaptability for industrial processes such as printing, dyeing, and stitching. SSF facilitates the creation of sustainable alternatives to materials like animal leather and synthetic foams. However, it also presents challenges such as uneven nutrient absorption, maintaining uniform product thickness, and efficient substrate purification.

This Research Topic aims to delve into the progress and obstacles encountered in fungal SSF and the innovative production of mycelium composites. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of these methods and to encourage the development of new technologies and processes that could mitigate the existing limitations while enhancing the utility and efficiency of fungal fermentation.

To gather further insights into the efficient utilization of SSF and mycelium materials, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Engineering fungal metabolic and regulatory pathways for enhanced production.
• Cutting-edge techniques and advancements in SSF and mycelium cultivation.
• Strategies for developing robust mycelium composites.
• Sustainable practices and technologies in green fungal biomanufacturing.
• The impact of various growth factors on the properties and morphology of mycelium materials.
• Optimization of production processes in SSF.
• Development of novel mycelium-based materials with enhanced properties.
• Biotechnological approaches for discovering new industrial and pharmaceutical interest molecules in SSF.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Fungal solid-state fermentation, Mycelium composites, Biomanufacturing technologies, Sustainable material production, Mycelium cultivation methods

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.