From solar cells to silicon wafers, engineers have long borrowed ideas from nature. Now, they’re borrowing nature itself. Researchers at The Ohio State University have created living computers powered by mushrooms, hinting at a future where circuits grow, learn, and eventually decompose on their own.
Researchers found that when dehydrated and connected to circuits, the mycelium acted as a memristor, a device that “remembers” past electrical states. This memory effect is essential for building neuromorphic systems that mimic the way human brains process information. In testing, the fungal networks switched electrical states thousands of times per second and achieved roughly 90% accuracy in specific frequency ranges.
Lead author John LaRocco, a research scientist in Ohio State’s College of Medicine, explained that these fungal-based devices consume minimal standby power—similar to how biological neurons remain dormant until activated. The result is a computing model that’s both energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable.
“Being able to develop microchips that mimic neural activity means you don’t need a lot of power when the machine isn’t in use,” said LaRocco.
Unlike conventional semiconductors, which rely on rare-earth minerals and complex fabrication, mushroom-based electronics are grown rather than manufactured. They’re biodegradable, low-cost, and could be produced in simple lab environments—or even on a compost heap.
Co-author Qudsia Tahmina from Ohio State’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering says this organic computing model could one day scale from wearables and autonomous sensors to edge computing and aerospace systems. However, the technology is still in its early stages and will require further refinement in cultivation and integration techniques.
The team’s research, published in PLOS ONE and supported by the Honda Research Institute, demonstrates that fungi can be more than just sustainable materials—they can serve as the building blocks for the next generation of computing.
As engineers search for greener, more adaptive technologies, living systems like mycelium may offer a new path forward: computing that grows, learns, and decomposes naturally.
Full story:Powered by mushrooms, living computers are on the rise
