Methods and systems for modifying aerial mycelium growth and growth trajectories in situ, and aerial mycelium-based materials produced thereby through in situ growth intervention actions

A method for providing supplemental growth conditions to inoculated substrates for the support of growing aerial mycelium materials, alternatively, to growth matrices for the support of growing aerial mycelium materials, or alternatively to growing aerial mycelium materials themselves, situated on either inoculated substrates or growth matrices, the method comprising:

• a) providing a growth environment including at least an inoculated substrate for supporting the growth of aerial mycelium material, alternatively a growth matrix for supporting the growth of aerial mycelium material, or alternatively, growing aerial mycelium material, which growth environment supports base-line growth conditions for the growth of aerial mycelium material;
• b) conducting at least one of the following steps upon either of said inoculated substrate, growth matrix, or growing aerial mycelium material in situ within the growth environment,
• 1. performing a physical manipulation on at least one of the inoculated substrate, growth matrix, or growing aerial mycelium, such that the physical manipulation imparts a physical change in at least one of the inoculated substrate, growth matrix, or growing aerial mycelium, which physical change enhances at least one aerial mycelium material physical attribute when compared with aerial mycelium grown under the base-line growth conditions without the physical manipulation, with the physical change being selected from the group consisting of:
• selectively displacing substrate, growth matrix, or growing aerial mycelium, selectively depressing substrate, growth matrix, or growing aerial mycelium, selectively compressing substrate, growth matrix, or growing aerial mycelium, selectively layering growing aerial mycelium, selectively separating, texturing, or patterning portions of growing aerial mycelium, selectively aligning fibers of growing aerial mycelium via either direct contact or indirect contact techniques, and selectively creating spatial voids in the growing aerial mycelium,
• 2. adding chemical, biologic, or other substance to at least one of the inoculated substrate, growth matrix, or growing aerial mycelium, such that the addition enhances at least one growing aerial mycelium attribute selected from the group consisting of improved taste as a result of chemical, biologic, or substance incorporation or uptake from the addition into the structure of the growing aerial mycelium, or deposition on the growing aerial mycelium surface, desired color change as a result of chemical, biologic, or substance incorporation or uptake from the addition into the structure of the growing aerial mycelium, or deposition on the growing aerial mycelium surface, desired improvement in nutritional content for human or animal consumption as a result of chemical, biologic, or substance incorporation or uptake from the addition into the structure of the growing aerial mycelium, or deposition on the growing aerial mycelium surface, desired improvement in shelf-life of final aerial-mycelium based product as a result of chemical, biologic, or substance incorporation or uptake from the addition into the structure of the growing aerial mycelium or deposition on the growing aerial mycelium surface;
• c) allowing growing aerial mycelium to continue growing in the growth environment in order to either develop an enhanced physical attribute selected from the group consisting of improved or targeted density, homogeneous or heterogeneous surface topology with limited or spatially directed aerial mycelium bulbous occurrence per given unit area, or more aligned or patterned fiber orientation, or to develop an enhanced product performance attribute selected from improved taste, shelf-life, texture, mouth-feel, and nutritional content.