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MycelioTronics: Fungal mycelium skin for sustainable electronics

Summary

Researchers have developed a new type of electronic device substrate made from fungal mycelium, the thread-like root structure of mushrooms. This material is completely biodegradable and can be processed like traditional electronic materials to create flexible circuits and batteries. The mycelium-based devices can power wireless sensors and transmit data via Bluetooth, demonstrating that sustainable electronics can perform just as well as conventional ones while being composted at the end of their life.

Background

Electronic devices generate enormous amounts of waste due to limited lifetimes and unsustainable materials. Current approaches to sustainability focus on recycling and circular economy, but truly sustainable electronics require replacing nondegradable substrate materials with biodegradable alternatives. Fungal mycelium offers a promising candidate as a naturally grown, biodegradable substrate material for electronic applications.

Objective

To develop and demonstrate fungal mycelium skins as biodegradable substrate material for sustainable electronics, including methods for processing mycelium with common electronic fabrication techniques and the creation of functional electronic devices and batteries.

Results

Mycelium skins demonstrated trace conductivity of 9.75 ± 1.44 × 10⁴ S cm⁻¹, thermal stability above 250°C, and mechanical flexibility withstanding over 2000 bending cycles with only 18.1% resistance increase. Mycelium batteries achieved capacities up to 3.8 mAh cm⁻² and successfully powered autonomous sensing devices with Bluetooth connectivity, humidity sensors, and proximity sensors.

Conclusion

Fungal mycelium skins represent a viable sustainable alternative to conventional electronic substrates, enabling biodegradable electronics with high performance and functionality. The integration of mycelium batteries and circuits demonstrates practical pathways toward a circular economy for electronic devices that can be easily recycled or composted at end-of-life.
  • Published in:Science Advances,
  • Study Type:Research and Development Study,
  • Source: PMID: 36367944, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add7118
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