When structure does not imply symmetry
This work provides a data-driven framework for inferring material symmetry in complex soft materials, relevant for food scientists and materials engineers developing plant-based meat alternatives.
The study investigates whether anisotropic microstructures in fungal protein materials lead to macroscopic mechanical and sensory anisotropy. Using orthogonal mechanical tests on three fungi-based materials, they found that structural anisotropy does not universally imply anisotropic behavior, with symmetry classes ranging from strongly anisotropic to effectively isotropic.
Fungal protein materials exhibit inherently anisotropic microstructures formed by networks of hyphae, which suggest a natural pathway to replicate the fibrous texture of animal meat. We probe whether this structural anisotropy translates into macroscopic mechanical and sensory anisotropy. Using orthogonal tension, compression, and shear experiments on three fungi-based materials, we identify distinct symmetry classes that range from strongly anisotropic to effectively isotropic behavior. Automated model discovery reveals that fiber-dependent invariants emerge only when mechanically relevant, and enables direct identification of material symmetry from data. These results demonstrate that microstructural anisotropy does not universally imply anisotropic mechanics or perception and establish a data-driven framework to infer symmetry in complex soft materials.