Fungal networks could offer an alternative to the tiny metal components commonly used to process and store digital information, according to a new study.
Mushrooms are known for their extreme resilience and distinctive biological traits. These natural qualities make them strong candidates for bioelectronics, a growing area of research that aims to develop new materials for future computing technologies.
Researchers at The Ohio State University have shown that familiar edible fungi, including shiitake mushrooms, can be cultivated and conditioned to function as organic memristors. Memristors are electronic components that process information by retaining a memory of previous electrical signals.
The team found that devices made from shiitake mushrooms produced repeatable memory effects comparable to those seen in conventional semiconductor chips. The results also suggest these fungal systems could serve as the foundation for other inexpensive, environmentally friendly computing components inspired by how the brain works.
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