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Sustainable memristors from shiitake mycelium for high-frequency bioelectronics

Summary

Scientists have discovered that shiitake mushrooms can be grown into computer memory devices called memristors. These fungal memristors work similarly to brain neurons, can be dried and stored for later use, and operate reliably at high speeds. Because they use common, biodegradable mushrooms instead of rare minerals, they offer an environmentally friendly alternative for computing that could be used in spacecraft and other advanced applications.

Background

Neuromorphic computing offers advantages in parallel processing and energy efficiency, but current semiconductor-based chips require rare-earth materials and costly fabrication. This study explored shiitake fungi as a sustainable alternative for developing memristive devices that exploit fungal adaptive electrical signaling similar to neuronal spiking.

Objective

To demonstrate that shiitake mycelial networks can function as memristors for bioelectronic applications, showing they can be grown, trained, preserved through dehydration, and operate at high frequencies with retained functionality and accuracy.

Results

Fungal memristors exhibited optimal memristive behavior at 10 Hz with 95% accuracy and demonstrated volatile memory operation at frequencies up to 5.85 kHz with 90±1% accuracy. Samples successfully retained functionality after dehydration and rehydration, and showed radiation resistance properties suitable for aerospace applications.

Conclusion

Shiitake mushroom-derived memristors provide a robust, sustainable, and low-cost alternative to conventional semiconductor memristors for neuromorphic computing. The devices demonstrate scalability, biodegradability, radiation resistance, and low energy consumption, opening potential applications in edge computing, aerospace, and embedded systems.
  • Published in:PLoS ONE,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328965
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