The Pizza Topping That Could Save Computing

Picture this: you're standing in your kitchen, slicing fresh shiitake mushrooms for dinner. That earthy, meaty fungus you're holding? It might just be the secret ingredient to solving one of technology's most significant environmental challenges. Scientists at The Ohio State University have discovered something that sounds like science fiction but is very real—those same mushrooms can function as computer memory.​

This isn't some distant fantasy. Researchers have successfully transformed shiitake mycelium—the thread-like network that forms beneath the mushroom cap—into working memristors, the tiny components that help computers remember information. And here's the kicker: these fungal circuits performed almost as well as the silicon chips currently powering your smartphone, laptop, and every digital device you own.​

Welcome to the fascinating intersection where biology meets technology, where the solution to our mounting electronic waste crisis might literally be growing in the forest.

What Exactly Is a Memristor, Anyway?

Before we dive deeper into this mushroom marvel, let's break down what a memristor actually does. Think of it as your brain's synapses translated into electronics.​

When you learn something new—say, how to ride a bicycle—your brain strengthens specific connections between neurons. Those connections "remember" the electrical signals that passed through them, which is why you never really forget how to ride a bike even after years. Memristors work the same way: they're electronic components whose resistance changes based on the voltage and current that previously flowed through them, essentially creating a physical memory of past electrical activity.​

Traditional computers use silicon-based memristors that require rare earth minerals, massive amounts of energy to manufacture, and leave behind toxic electronic waste when discarded. The human brain, by contrast, runs on just 20 watts of power—about the same as two LED bulbs—yet outperforms most computers in pattern recognition, learning, and adaptation. This enormous efficiency gap is what makes neuromorphic computing (brain-inspired computing) so exciting and necessary.​

That's where mushrooms enter the picture.

How Scientists Turned Mushrooms Into Memory

Dr John LaRocco and his team at Ohio State University weren't just experimenting on a whim. They chose shiitake mushrooms deliberately for their toughness, resilience, and unique electrical properties.​

Here's how they did it. The researchers grew nine samples of shiitake mycelium in controlled laboratory conditions, allowing the intricate white networks to spread fully across petri dishes. Once mature, they dehydrated the samples in direct sunlight for several days—a preservation method that maintained the mycelium's structural integrity while preparing it for long-term viability.​

Then came the crucial step: connecting the dried mushroom samples to custom electronic circuits. Using an Arduino microcontroller board—the same kind hobbyists use for DIY electronics projects—the team attached electrodes to different parts of the mushroom network. After briefly misting the samples with aerosolised deionised water to restore conductivity, they subjected the fungal circuits to various electrical waveforms at different voltages and frequencies.​

"We would connect electrical wires and probes at different points on the mushrooms because distinct parts of them have different electrical properties," LaRocco explained. "Depending on the voltage and connectivity, we were seeing different performances".​

The results were stunning.

The Performance That Shocked Researchers

After two months of rigorous testing, the mushroom memristor could switch between electrical states up to 5,850 times per second—operating at frequencies approaching 6,000 Hertz with about 90% accuracy. To put that in perspective, the slowest commercial memristors start at roughly double that speed, making this experiment an incredibly promising first step.​

The fungal circuits demonstrated true memristive behaviour: they "remembered" past electrical states even when power was removed. At one volt, the systems performed most consistently, and researchers even programmed them to act like RAM (random access memory), where they maintained their impressive accuracy.​

When electrical frequencies increased, performance declined—but here's where things got really interesting. Just like connecting more neurons in the human brain strengthens neural pathways, adding more mushrooms to the circuit compensated for the performance drop and restored stability. The fungal network was literally behaving like brain tissue.​

"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," LaRocco noted. "That's something that can be a huge potential computational and economic advantage".​

Why Mushrooms Make Perfect Bio-Computers

The more you learn about mycelium, the more obvious it becomes why scientists would turn to fungi for computing solutions. These organisms have been quietly demonstrating sophisticated network behaviour for millions of years.​

Mycelium networks are nature's internet. Underground, these fungal threads connect trees and plants across entire forests, transmitting electrical and chemical signals much like neurons in your brain. They transport water, nutrients, and even warning signals about predators or disease between connected organisms. This inherent electrical conductivity makes them natural candidates for electronic applications.​

But shiitake mushrooms bring something extra special to the table: radiation resistance. The compound lentinan found in shiitake cell walls provides structural integrity and helps the mushrooms withstand oxidative stress. Studies involving fungi in space research have shown that certain species can adapt to high radiation environments through morphological changes or increased melanin production. This resilience means fungal electronics could potentially function in aerospace applications where cosmic rays and ambient radiation regularly damage conventional silicon chips.​

Shiitake mushrooms can also survive temperature extremes exceeding 200 degrees Celsius while maintaining their insulating properties. They're lightweight, require minimal power, and can be revived simply by adding moisture after being dried. Try doing that with a silicon chip.​

The Environmental Case That Changes Everything

Here's where this story shifts from fascinating science to urgent necessity. The world generates over 50 million metric tons of electronic waste every year, and only about 17.4% gets properly recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or incinerators, leaching toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and barium into soil and groundwater.​

Manufacturing conventional semiconductors is an environmental nightmare. The process requires massive amounts of ultrapure water, energy-intensive chemical processing, and rare earth elements mined under often devastating environmental and human conditions. A single silicon chip can travel over 50,000 kilometres and cross international borders 70 times before reaching consumers. Current estimates suggest data centres alone will consume 20% of global electricity by 2025—and with AI's explosive growth, that figure could double by 2026.​

Fungal electronics offer a radically different path. They're biodegradable, eliminating toxic e-waste. They can be grown from agricultural waste rather than mined from the earth. They require far less energy to cultivate and operate compared to silicon fabrication. And they're cheap—shiitake mushrooms are already mass-produced globally for food.​

"Society has become increasingly aware of the need to protect our environment and ensure that we preserve it for future generations," said Dr Qudsia Tahmina, study co-author and associate professor at Ohio State. "That awareness drives this research".​

The potential impact is staggering. Imagine electronics that you could literally compost after use. Computer components that grow in weeks rather than requiring months of energy-intensive manufacturing. Memory chips that don't contribute to the toxic waste poisoning our planet.

The Real-World Applications on the Horizon

So when might you see a mushroom-powered computer on store shelves? The technology is still in its early stages, but the applications researchers envision are both practical and exciting.​

Edge computing and wearable devices could benefit enormously from fungal electronics' low power requirements and lightweight nature. Imagine fitness trackers or medical sensors that run for months on tiny batteries, or even bio-integrate safely with human tissue, since mushrooms are naturally biocompatible.​

Aerospace and space exploration represent particularly promising frontiers thanks to shiitake's radiation resistance. Conventional electronics degrade rapidly in the harsh radiation environment of space, requiring expensive shielding. Fungal circuits that naturally withstand cosmic rays could make space missions cheaper and more reliable.​

Autonomous systems and robotics need energy-efficient, adaptive learning capabilities—exactly what memristor-based neural networks provide. "One of the key strengths of memristors is their capacity for efficient and self-adaptive in situ learning, which is critical for applications in robotics and autonomous vehicles," LaRocco and his colleagues wrote.​

Internet of Things (IoT) devices—the billions of interconnected sensors monitoring everything from soil moisture to building temperatures—could operate independently without constant cloud connections if they had more on-device processing power. Neuromorphic fungal chips could provide that capability while using a fraction of the energy.​

The researchers even suggest larger mushroom systems might power edge computing in remote locations, while smaller configurations could enhance wearable medical devices like pacemakers that provide real-time health monitoring.​

The Challenges Still to Overcome

Let's be honest: fungal computing faces real hurdles before it reaches your desk. The technology is remarkably promising, but scientists need to address several challenges to make it commercially viable.​

Size reduction tops the list. Current mushroom memristors are much larger than their silicon counterparts. Researchers need to develop methods to shrink fungal components while maintaining or improving performance—no small feat when working with living biological materials.​

Longevity and stability remain open questions. The Ohio State study lasted less than two months, so nobody yet knows how long mushroom-based memory can reliably retain data. Can these systems operate for years like conventional electronics? Do environmental factors like humidity and temperature significantly affect performance over time? These answers require more research.​

Manufacturing scalability presents both opportunities and challenges. While mushrooms are easy and cheap to grow in principle, developing standardised production methods that ensure consistent electrical properties across millions of units will require significant industrial infrastructure.​

Performance gaps still exist. That 90% accuracy is impressive for an initial biological system, but commercial electronics demand near-perfect reliability. Higher frequency operations showed reduced performance, though adding more mushrooms helped compensate. Optimising these networks to match or exceed silicon chips' capabilities will take continued innovation.​

Yet here's what makes this work so exciting: every one of these challenges is surmountable. Scientists aren't trying to violate physics—they're working with biological systems that already demonstrate the needed capabilities. It's engineering and refinement, not fantasy.

What Makes This Discovery Feel Different

Reading about mushroom computers, you might think: "This sounds too weird to work." But step back and consider what's actually happening here. Researchers didn't fundamentally alter these mushrooms or genetically engineer them into something unnatural. They simply recognised that mycelium networks already possess properties remarkably similar to neural circuits, then found ways to harness those existing capabilities.​

Nature has been running sophisticated information networks for hundreds of millions of years. Fungi predate humans by roughly 400 million years. They survived multiple mass extinction events, adapted to virtually every environment on Earth, and developed communication systems of stunning elegance. We're finally smart enough to learn from them.​

This pattern repeats throughout science and technology. Velcro mimicked burrs that stuck to dog fur. Bullet trains took aerodynamic cues from kingfisher beaks. Solar panels echo photosynthesis. The most revolutionary technologies often come from recognising and adapting nature's time-tested solutions rather than fighting against them.​

Fungal computing fits perfectly into this tradition of biomimicry meeting sustainability. It also aligns with a broader movement toward biodegradable electronics that could fundamentally reshape how we design, manufacture, and dispose of technology.​

The Bigger Picture: Neuromorphic Computing's Promise

Mushroom memristors represent just one piece of a larger revolution brewing in computer science: neuromorphic computing, the quest to build machines that think more like biological brains.​

Current artificial intelligence systems, for all their impressive capabilities, are phenomenally inefficient. Training large language models can cost millions of dollars in electricity and generate carbon footprints equivalent to thousands of transatlantic flights. These systems require massive data centres stuffed with specialised processors running at full throttle, consuming electricity at rates that threaten to overwhelm power grids.​

The human brain, by contrast, performs extraordinarily complex cognitive tasks—recognising faces, understanding language, learning from single examples, making intuitive leaps—all while sipping power equivalent to a dim light bulb. This efficiency gap is why researchers worldwide are racing to develop neuromorphic systems that replicate biological neural networks' architecture and function.​

Memristors are crucial to this vision because they enable brain-like learning directly in hardware. Instead of shuttling data back and forth between separate memory and processing units—the famous "von Neumann bottleneck" that limits conventional computers—memristive neural networks can process and remember information in the same location, just like synapses. This architecture dramatically reduces energy consumption and accelerates learning.​

Fungal memristors bring additional advantages: sustainability, biocompatibility, and that surprising radiation resistance. They represent a convergence of neuromorphic computing's efficiency with green technology's environmental responsibility.​

Getting Started: The Democratisation of Fungal Electronics

One of the most remarkable aspects of this research is its accessibility. LaRocco himself noted that investigating fungal computing could be "as simple as a compost pile and some DIY electronics".​

The researchers used an Arduino UNO R4 microcontroller board—a device hobbyists use for hundreds of projects, costing under $30. Dried shiitake mushrooms are available at any grocery store. The basic principles are straightforward enough that motivated individuals could experiment at home, though obviously reproducing the precise scientific protocols requires more sophisticated equipment and expertise.​

This democratisation matters because breakthrough innovations often come from unexpected places. When more people can access and experiment with emerging technologies, we see faster progress, diverse applications nobody anticipated, and grassroots movements that can accelerate adoption.​

College biology and engineering programs could easily incorporate fungal electronics into curricula. Community makerspaces might host workshops. Citizen scientists could contribute observations that help researchers optimise cultivation and testing methods. The barrier to entry is refreshingly low compared to silicon chip fabrication, which requires billion-dollar facilities and supply chains spanning continents.​

The Timeline: When Will This Technology Arrive?

So here's the question you're probably asking: when can I actually buy a mushroom-powered laptop?

The honest answer is: not for a while. We're looking at years, possibly more than a decade, before fungal computing components appear in consumer devices. This technology is at the proof-of-concept stage—scientists have demonstrated it works, but transforming laboratory experiments into mass-produced, reliable products requires extensive development.​

That timeline shouldn't discourage us. Every transformative technology follows this arc. The first transistor appeared in 1947; the first commercial microprocessor arrived in 1971; personal computers became common in the 1980s and 1990s. Revolutionary changes take time to mature.​

What we can reasonably expect is a progression through specialised applications before reaching general consumer markets. Medical implants and sensors might adopt biodegradable fungal electronics first since biocompatibility is especially valuable there. Aerospace applications could follow, leveraging radiation resistance for satellite or deep-space mission components. Edge computing nodes for industrial or environmental monitoring might come next.​

Meanwhile, researchers will continue refining cultivation methods, improving performance, solving stability challenges, and developing manufacturing infrastructure. Each incremental advance brings commercial viability closer.​

The work published in PLOS ONE represents a significant milestone—proof that fungal memristors can perform computing tasks at frequencies and accuracies approaching conventional electronics. That achievement transforms this field from theoretical speculation to a practical engineering challenge. And engineering challenges, unlike fundamental scientific barriers, get solved with determined work.​

Why This Matters Right Now

You might wonder why we should care about experimental mushroom computers when our current technology works fine. But "works fine" glosses over some troubling realities.

Electronic waste is projected to reach 75 million tons by 2030, with devastating environmental and health consequences. Mining rare earth elements for conventional electronics destroys ecosystems and exploits vulnerable workers. AI's energy consumption threatens to outpace our ability to generate clean electricity, potentially forcing choices between technological progress and climate goals.​

We're approaching several critical tipping points. The question isn't whether our current path is sustainable—it demonstrably isn't. The question is whether we can develop and deploy alternatives fast enough to matter.​

Fungal computing won't single-handedly solve these crises. But it's exactly the kind of radical rethinking we need. It challenges assumptions about what computing materials must be, where they come from, and what happens to them afterwards. It demonstrates that high performance and environmental responsibility aren't mutually exclusive. It offers a tangible path forward that addresses multiple problems simultaneously.​

Perhaps most importantly, discoveries like this remind us that solutions to our most pressing technological challenges might be growing quietly in forests and labs around us, waiting for scientists curious enough to look beyond conventional approaches.​

The Path Forward: What Comes Next

The Ohio State team isn't stopping with this initial success. Future research will focus on improving cultivation techniques, shrinking device sizes, and exploring performance optimisation through different mushroom species or mycelium configurations.​

Other researchers are pursuing parallel innovations in biodegradable electronics using various organic materials—silk proteins, cellulose, and wood pulp substrates. This broader ecosystem of sustainable electronics research creates multiple pathways toward green computing, increasing the likelihood that some combination of approaches will achieve commercial success.​

Industry interest is growing, too. The study received partial funding from the Honda Research Institute, suggesting corporations recognise potential value in these technologies. As environmental regulations tighten and consumer demand for sustainable products increases, companies have strong incentives to invest in alternatives to conventional electronics manufacturing.​

Academic institutions worldwide are expanding neuromorphic computing research programs, creating talent pipelines of engineers and scientists trained in these new paradigms. Policy frameworks are beginning to address electronics sustainability, potentially creating regulatory environments that favour biodegradable alternatives.​

The convergence of scientific capability, environmental necessity, economic incentive, and social awareness suggests we're approaching an inflexion point where sustainable computing transitions from niche research to mainstream priority.​

Your Role in the Coming Revolution

This might seem like a story about specialised scientists doing esoteric work in distant laboratories. But the development of sustainable computing technologies affects all of us, and we each have roles to play in accelerating beneficial change.

Stay informed about emerging technologies like fungal computing. Understanding what's possible helps create demand for sustainable alternatives and puts pressure on manufacturers to invest in greener options.​

Support policies and companies that prioritise environmental responsibility in electronics. Your purchasing decisions, votes, and advocacy matter. Markets respond to consumer preferences, and regulations follow public will.​

Extend device lifespans whenever possible. The greenest electronics are the ones we don't manufacture in the first place because we're still using perfectly functional existing devices.​

Recycle properly when devices reach end-of-life. Proper e-waste recycling recovers valuable materials and prevents toxic contamination, buying time while sustainable alternatives mature.​

Encourage STEM education that emphasises biomimicry, sustainability, and interdisciplinary thinking. The next breakthrough in green computing might come from a student inspired by stories like mushroom memristors.​

The Beautiful Weirdness of Progress

There's something wonderfully unexpected about this whole story. The cutting edge of computing technology—that pinnacle of human innovation and digital sophistication—might literally be growing in compost heaps and forest floors. The devices enabling artificial intelligence could become more biological than artificial. The electronics powering our increasingly virtual lives might be made from one of Earth's most ancient, physical life forms.​

This isn't the future anyone predicted. Science fiction envisioned sleeker silicon, faster processors, and miniaturisation continuing forever. Few imagined we'd need to turn backwards—or rather, turn to nature—to move forward.​

Yet here we are, discovering that mushrooms can remember electrical states, that fungal networks communicate like neural circuits, that the solutions to ultra-modern technological problems might be growing silently beneath our feet. It's humbling and exhilarating in equal measure.​

Scientists have transformed shiitake mushrooms—the same ones you sauté with garlic or add to ramen—into functional computer memory. They've demonstrated that these fungal circuits can operate at thousands of cycles per second with impressive accuracy, all while being biodegradable, radiation-resistant, and potentially scalable. They've opened a door to computing that's simultaneously more ancient and more futuristic than anything we've built before.​

The Takeaway: Computing That Grows

The next time you're shopping for groceries and pass those humble shiitake mushrooms in the produce section, take a moment to appreciate what they represent. Those unassuming fungi embody millions of years of evolutionary refinement, sophisticated communication networks, electrical conductivity, radiation resistance, and now, potential as the building blocks of sustainable computing.​

We stand at a fascinating crossroads. The technologies defining modern life—computers, smartphones, artificial intelligence—face serious sustainability challenges that demand fresh approaches. Simultaneously, scientists are discovering that nature has already solved many of the problems we're wrestling with, if only we're clever enough to recognise and adapt those solutions.​

Fungal computing represents this convergence beautifully. It's weird science that makes perfect sense. It's cutting-edge research inspired by ancient organisms. It's technology working with nature rather than against it.​

Whether mushroom memristors become the dominant computing paradigm or simply contribute one piece to a broader sustainable electronics ecosystem remains to be seen. But the principle they demonstrate—that revolutionary advances often come from unexpected places, and that our biggest challenges may have surprisingly organic solutions—feels like exactly the mindset we need for the complex decades ahead.​

The future of computing might just grow on trees. Or rather, beneath them, in intricate white networks quietly processing information the way they have for hundreds of millions of years, patiently waiting for us to pay attention.

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