The Evolutionary Bond Between Animal and Mushroom - Cell Cultivation and Scaffolds

Alex Crisp talks to Alice Millbank, to explore one of the most intriguing ideas in cultivated meat: using mycelium—the fibrous root network of fungi as a natural scaffold for growing meat.

One of the biggest challenges in cultivated meat isn’t growing cells, but giving them structure. Muscle cells need something to attach to, align along, and mature on in order to become food with real texture. Alice’s research looks at how mycelium, which already forms complex, meat-like fibrous networks, could provide an edible, low-cost, and scalable solution.

We talk about why mycelium and animal cells seem to bond so naturally, and whether that compatibility hints at a deep evolutionary relationship between fungi and animals. From shared biological pathways to surprisingly similar material properties.

Alice shares insights from presenting her work at conferences like the International Symposium on Cultured Meat, and what it’s like to work at the cutting edge of cellular agriculture while the industry is still defining itself. We discuss sustainability, consumer acceptance, and what needs to happen for cultivated meat to move from the lab to the plate.

If you’re curious about what a man-mushroom might look like or how likely "The Last of Us" scenario really is, then listen to this latest episode of Future of Foods Interviews
#cellularagriculture #mycelium #fungi #evolution #mushrooms #cellbiology #cultivatedmeat