Reframing the substrate as an active process component in fungal solid-state fermentation of foods

Fungal solid-state fermentation can improve the nutritional quality of plant-based foods, yet most processes rely on substrates whose properties are inherited from raw materials rather than intentionally designed. This perspective addresses this limitation by reframing the substrate as an active process component. Integrating biochemical, mechanical, and architectural principles into substrate design enables the development of engineered substrates that promote volumetric and spatially uniform bioconversion during solid-state fermentation of food materials.