Multiscale and programmable engineering of edible mushroom mycelium-based materials

Edible mushroom mycelium-based materials are emerging as renewable, route-dependent systems spanning composites, flexible sheets, hydrogels, aerogels, and hybrid materials, rather than a single engineering class. In this review, we synthesize how strain selection, substrate composition, cultivation conditions, and post-processing shape structure-property-function relationships across these formats. Available evidence is strongest for substrate-bound composites and selected laminate systems, whereas reconstructed gels, aerogels, and functional hybrids remain more exploratory. We assess how synthetic biology, advanced manufacturing, and AI-assisted monitoring may improve controllability and scale-up, while highlighting barriers including reproducibility, moisture sensitivity, durability, techno-economics, and regulatory qualification. Progress will depend on route-specific benchmarking, process control, and validation under realistic service conditions.