Growth of filamentous fungi on the surface of cereal grains is a criti
cal aspect of solid substrate fermentation (SSF). Numerous mathematica
l models have been developed to describe various aspects of fungal gro
wth in SSF. These models consider hyphal geometry and nutrient availab
ility as determinants of colony morphology and fungal physiological st
ate. This work describes the use of cellular automata (CA) as an alter
native method of modeling fungal growth. CA models reliant on a very l
imited set of rules or ''knowledge base display a rich array of behavi
ors that mimic fungal growth. By incorporating probablistic growth rul
es into CA models, colony characteristics such as biomass accumulation
rate, colony radial growth rate, mycelial density and fungal differen
tiation are readily generated.