Fungi are “nature’s biological recycling machines,” says guest Vayu Hill-Maini, a former chef turned bioengineer. That is, they take waste and turn it into good things. Hill-Maini now melds his scientific and culinary skills to create new foods, but also medicines, faux leather, pigments and other valuable products from mushrooms and molds. He uses CRISPR gene editing technology to “domesticate” these fungi – removing off-flavors and increasing nutritional content to make new-age cheeses, burgers, salami, and more. “We call it the DBTL cycle – design, build, taste, learn,” Hill-Maini tells host Russ Altman about his creative process on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.

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Episode Reference Links:

Stanford Profile: Vayu Hill-Maini

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces guest Vayu Hill-Maini, a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University.

(00:03:33) From Chef to Bioengineer

How Hill-Maini’s culinary background led him to study food through science.

(00:05:23) Building a Lab with a Kitchen

Why his Stanford lab combines bioengineering research with culinary experimentation.

(00:07:32) What Are Fungi?

A primer on yeasts, molds, mushrooms, and their role in food and medicine.

(00:10:22) Domesticating Fungi

How humans have shaped fungi over thousands of years.

(00:14:23) Mushrooms as a Food Source

The nutrients, proteins, vitamins, and beneficial molecules found in fungi.

(00:16:21) Fungi as Biological Recyclers

Using fungi to turn food waste, agricultural waste, and other materials into useful products.

(00:18:22) Making Waste-Based Foods Desirable

Why taste, emotion, and culinary design matter for sustainable foods.

(00:20:22) Engineering Delicious Fungi

Using genetics and CRISPR to improve flavor, nutrition, and usability.

(00:22:50) Gentle Genetic Tweaks

Making small changes to reduce off-flavors or enhance useful traits.

(00:23:46) Design, Build, Taste, Learn

How the lab moves between kitchen and bench science to improve foods.

(00:24:06) Chefs in the Lab

How culinary collaborators help guide research and creativity.

(00:28:58) Fungi-Based Materials

The potential to create textiles, leather alternatives, and building materials.

(00:31:03) Future In a Minute

Rapid-fire Q&A: sustainability, students, and the promise of fungi.

(00:33:25) Conclusion

Connect With Us:

Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website

Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon

Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

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