Mushroom Memory: The Fungi-Powered Future of Computing

According to ScienceAlert, researchers have developed working computer memory components using shiitake mushrooms, creating memristors from fungal mycelium that achieve 90% accuracy at speeds of 5,850 Hertz. The team, led by psychiatrist John LaRocco of Ohio State University, grew shiitake mycelium in petri dishes and dried the samples in direct sunlight before testing their computational capabilities. The resulting “mushristors” switch signals approximately every 170 microseconds, performing at about half the speed of the slowest commercially available memristors while offering potential advantages in cost, scalability, and environmental sustainability. Researchers discovered that performance decreased with higher electrical voltages but could be compensated by adding more mushrooms to the circuit. This fungal computing breakthrough opens new possibilities for biodegradable electronics.

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The Biological Advantage of Mycelial Networks

The choice of fungal mycelium isn’t accidental—these biological networks share remarkable similarities with both neural networks and electronic circuits. Mycelium naturally forms complex, interconnected structures that transmit electrical and chemical signals, creating what some researchers call the “wood wide web” in nature. This inherent connectivity pattern makes fungi particularly suitable for memristor applications, as they already exhibit memory-like properties in their natural environmental interactions. The research builds on growing evidence that biological systems can perform computational tasks with extraordinary energy efficiency compared to silicon-based systems.

The Engineering Hurdles Ahead

While the 90% accuracy and 5,850 Hz performance are impressive for a first demonstration, significant technical challenges remain before fungal computing becomes practical. The voltage sensitivity issue identified by researchers points to fundamental limitations in stability and consistency—critical requirements for commercial electronics. Environmental factors like humidity, temperature fluctuations, and biological degradation could affect long-term reliability in ways that don’t impact silicon chips. Scaling from laboratory petri dishes to mass production would require solving contamination control, growth synchronization, and quality assurance problems that don’t exist in cleanroom semiconductor fabrication.

Beyond Memory: The Future of Bio-Hybrid Systems

This research represents more than just an alternative memory technology—it points toward a future of truly biodegradable electronics and sustainable computing. As Ohio State researchers have suggested, fungal components could enable electronics that decompose naturally rather than contributing to e-waste. The applications extend beyond consumer devices to specialized fields like environmental monitoring, where temporary biodegradable sensors could be deployed without retrieval concerns. The combination of biological and electronic systems might eventually lead to adaptive computers that can self-repair or reconfigure based on environmental conditions.

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Where Fungal Computing Fits in the Tech Landscape

The timing of this research coincides with growing concerns about semiconductor supply chains, rare earth mineral dependencies, and the environmental impact of electronics manufacturing. While fungal memristors won’t replace high-performance computing components anytime soon, they could find niches in applications where biodegradability, low cost, and moderate performance are prioritized. Think agricultural sensors, educational tools, temporary medical devices, or environmental monitors—applications where disposability or environmental compatibility matter more than raw speed. The research published in Applied Surface Science suggests that with further development, fungal electronics could complement rather than replace conventional technology.

The Road From Laboratory to Practical Application

Expect at least a decade of development before fungal computing reaches commercial viability, if it ever does. The current performance, while promising for early research, remains orders of magnitude below what’s needed for most consumer applications. The next steps will involve improving speed, reliability, and manufacturability while maintaining the environmental benefits that make the approach interesting. Researchers will need to address fundamental questions about shelf life, operating conditions, and integration with conventional electronics. The shiitake mushroom’s natural robustness provides a good starting point, but commercial applications may require genetic engineering or specialized cultivation techniques to achieve consistent electronic properties.

The Growing Field of Organic Electronics

This mushroom memory research fits into a broader movement exploring biological and organic alternatives to conventional electronics. From bacterial computing to DNA data storage, researchers are increasingly looking to biology for solutions to technological challenges. What makes the fungal approach particularly interesting is the combination of neural-like network structure, environmental resilience, and relatively simple cultivation requirements. Unlike more exotic biological computing approaches, fungal systems could potentially be scaled using existing agricultural and bioprocessing techniques, lowering the barrier to eventual commercialization.