Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed organic memristors from shiitake mushrooms that mimic neural activity in computer chips. These biodegradable devices switch electrical states thousands of times per second while using minimal power. The findings, published in PLOS One, suggest potential for sustainable, brain-like computing.
In a breakthrough for bioelectronics, scientists at The Ohio State University have turned edible fungi into living memory devices. The team cultivated shiitake and button mushrooms, dehydrating them and connecting them to custom electronic circuits. By exposing the mushrooms to controlled electric currents at varying voltages and frequencies, researchers observed memristive behavior similar to that in traditional semiconductor chips.
Lead author John LaRocco, a research scientist in psychiatry at Ohio State's College of Medicine, explained the advantages: "Being able to develop microchips that mimic actual neural activity means you don't need a lot of power for standby or when the machine isn't being used. That's something that can be a huge potential computational and economic advantage."
The experiments, conducted over two months, demonstrated that the mushroom-based memristors could switch between electrical states up to 5,850 times per second with about 90% accuracy. Performance dipped at higher frequencies, but linking multiple mushrooms improved stability, akin to neural connections in the brain.
Co-author Qudsia Tahmina, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, highlighted environmental benefits: "Society has become increasingly aware of the need to protect our environment and ensure that we preserve it for future generations. So that could be one of the driving factors behind new bio-friendly ideas like these." Fungal materials are biodegradable and low-cost, contrasting with energy-intensive conventional semiconductors that rely on rare minerals.
The study, involving contributors Ruben Petreaca, John Simonis, and Justin Hill, was supported by the Honda Research Institute. Future work aims to refine cultivation for smaller, more efficient devices suitable for edge computing, aerospace, and wearables. LaRocco noted accessibility: "Everything you'd need to start exploring fungi and computing could be as small as a compost heap and some homemade electronics."
The research was published in PLOS One on October 26, 2025.