The Mycelium Engineer is an ongoing essay series by Jake Winiski that builds critical and interpretive infrastructure for the emerging field of mycelium technology. These essays don't teach protocols, they teach how to see and think about fungi as organisms with their own logic, agency, and strategic behavior.

Drawing from fungal biology, process engineering, and systems thinking, the series develops vocabulary and frameworks that help practitioners interpret what they observe: why morphology shifts, what variability signals, how fungi make decisions about growth and structure.

Written for researchers, engineers, and designers working directly with fungi, these essays complement technical literature by asking what fungal behavior means and how we should think about it. They argue for rigor, multidisciplinary thinking, and respect for biological complexity. They frame mycelium R&D not as control engineering but as relational practice; designing contexts that invite fungal responses with utility.

This is a field guide for practitioners who need better conceptual tools, not just better recipes.