🍄 Mushrooms Meet Microchips: A Wild Leap for Green Tech
It sounds like something out of sci-fi — but scientists at Ohio State University have just turned shiitake mushrooms into a working memory resistor (or memristor), potentially reshaping the future of AI hardware and sustainable computing.
Instead of relying on expensive or environmentally damaging rare-earth materials, researchers have discovered that the humble mushroom’s mycelium network can act as a biodegradable, low-power electronic component capable of storing and processing data — just like a human brain.
⚡ What Exactly Is a Memristor?
A memristor (short for “memory resistor”) is a type of electronic component that “remembers” how much current has passed through it — even when the power is off.
This behaviour mimics how synapses in the brain strengthen with experience, making memristors ideal for neuromorphic computing, where chips learn and adapt like neural networks.
Unlike traditional silicon chips that separate storage and processing, memristors can do both, massively improving efficiency for AI systems, electric vehicles, and high-performance computing (HPC).
🧪 How the “Fungal Chip” Works
The Ohio State team cultivated a mycelium network from edible shiitake mushrooms, dried and rehydrated it to stabilise its structure, and added thin metal electrodes.
When voltage was applied, the fungal material displayed stable resistance switching — meaning it could change and retain its electrical state. Tests showed it remained stable even at frequencies up to 5,850 Hz, with around 90% accuracy, and performed reliably under repeated use.
Researchers say this bio-memristor combines key advantages:
- 🪶 Lightweight and low-power
- 🌱 Biodegradable and eco-friendly
- ☢️ Resistant to radiation and dehydration
- 🚀 Suitable for aerospace and edge computing
🚧 From Lab to Real-World Chips
While promising, the shiitake-based memristor still faces challenges before it can hit commercial production.
- Humidity sensitivity: Mycelium’s conductivity changes with moisture, so better encapsulation is needed.
- Material consistency: Each batch can vary in structure, making large-scale production tricky.
- Integration issues: Mycelium is organic, meaning it doesn’t play nicely (yet) with the high-temperature silicon fabrication process.
Still, experts see it as a milestone for green electronics, offering a path to reduce reliance on rare-earths and cut the carbon footprint of chip manufacturing.
As one researcher put it, “We might soon be growing the future of AI in a petri dish.”
Source: Ohio State University