Researchers affiliated with The Ohio State University have shown that common fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms, possess the capability to manage and retain digital data. This breakthrough suggests a path toward engineering completely biodegradable electronic hardware.
The foundation of this research lies in the concept of a “memristor”—an electronic element that, much like the human brain, is capable of both processing and retaining data. The scientists ascertained that the mycelium—the intricate, root-like network of the fungus—offers an excellent, naturally occurring substrate for transmitting and storing electrical signals.
During the experimental phase, the team utilized standard mushrooms, specifically shiitake and button mushrooms, which were dehydrated to preserve their internal architecture. Electrodes were then affixed to both the caps and stems. By channeling electrical pulses through the fungal tissue, they successfully documented its capacity to transition between distinct electrical states and maintain this stored “memory.”
The findings were quite remarkable. These fungal “memristors” managed to switch states up to 5,850 times per second while preserving nearly 90% of the signal integrity, performance comparable to that of random-access memory (RAM). By linking several mushroom samples into a configuration, the researchers observed that the collective system began to emulate neural pathways, mimicking patterns of neural firing without requiring continuous power input.
This discovery opens doors for developing computing devices that are both highly efficient and low-power. Given that the material is entirely organic, it tackles a critical challenge in our current technological landscape: the burgeoning volume of electronic waste. Such mycelium-based bio-computers could eventually form the basis for wearable bio-interfaces, sophisticated sensors, and specialized computational matrices.
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