Fungal electronics
Fungal electronics is a family of living electronic devices made of mycelium bound composites or pure mycelium. Fungal electronic devices are capable of changing their impedance and generating spikes of electrical potential in response to external control parameters. Fungal electronics can be embedded into fungal materials and wearables or used as stand alone sensing and computing devices.
🍄 Oh, joy! Researchers have finally cracked the code to power our future with the same fungi that make our overpriced stir-fry taste earthy. Because who wouldn't want their high-frequency
#bioelectronics to double as a garnish? 😂🔌
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0328965 #fungiinnovation #sustainablefuture #foodtech #researchhumor #HackerNews #ngated
Sustainable memristors from shiitake mycelium for high-frequency bioelectronics
Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the structure of the brain, offers advantages in parallel processing, memory storage, and energy efficiency. However, current semiconductor-based neuromorphic chips require rare-earth materials and costly fabrication processes, whereas neural organoids need complex bioreactor maintenance. In this study, we explored shiitake (Lentinula edodes) fungi as a robust, sustainable alternative, exploiting its adaptive electrical signaling, which is akin to neuronal spiking. We demonstrate fungal computing via mycelial networks interfaced with electrodes, showing that fungal memristors can be grown, trained, and preserved through dehydration, retaining functionality at frequencies up to 5.85 kHz, with an accuracy of 90 ± 1%. Notably, shiitake has exhibited radiation resistance, suggesting its viability for aerospace applications. Our findings show that fungal computers can provide scalable, eco-friendly platforms for neuromorphic tasks, bridging bioelectronics and unconventional computing.
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