Patrick Hickey

Dr Patrick Hickey is Founder of Kingdom 5 Foods focused on developing next-generation fungal food technologies based on novel substrates, texture design, and scalable bioprocessing methods. With a background in fungal biology and biotechnology, he holds a BSc (Hons) in Plant Science (1997) and a PhD in fungal cell biology (2001) from the University of Edinburgh. Patrick brings three decades of experience spanning applied R&D, microscopy and imaging, and technology development, with a focus on translating fungal science into commercially relevant products and processes. His work combines advanced time-lapse and laser microscopy with practical innovation in fermentation, structure, and functionality. He has founded two technology startups since 2001, collaborates across science and industry, and contributes to public-facing science communication, including film, television documentaries, advertisements, and guest lecturing in mycology.