Fungal networks may in the future replace the tiny metal components that process and store computer data, in keeping with recent research.
Mushrooms are known for his or her toughness and strange biological properties, properties that make them attractive for bioelectronics. This emerging field combines biology and technology to design advanced, durable materials for future computing systems.
Turning mushrooms into living memory devices
Ohio State University researchers recently discovered that edible mushrooms, like shiitake mushrooms, may be cultivated and guided to act as organic monuments. These components act like memory cells that retain details about previous electrical states.
Their experiments show that mushroom-based devices can reproduce similar memory behavior seen in semiconductor chips. They may enable the creation of other environmentally friendly, brain-like computing tools that cost less to supply.
“Being able to produce 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,” said John Larocco, MD, a neuroscientist and neuroscientist at Ohio State's College of Medicine. “This is something that could have a huge potential computational and economic benefit.”
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LaRocco notes that fungal electronics aren't exactly a brand new idea, but they're becoming increasingly practical for sustainable computing. Because fungal materials are biodegradable and low-cost to supply, they can assist reduce electronic waste. In contrast, traditional semiconductors often require rare minerals and enormous amounts of energy to fabricate and operate.
“Mycelium has previously been explored as a computing substrate in less intuitive setups, but our work seeks to push one of these memory systems to its limits,” he said.
The results of the team were published.
How Scientists Tested Mushroom Memory
To test their abilities, the researchers prepared samples of shiitake and button mushrooms. Once matured, they were dehydrated to preserve them after which connected to custom electronic circuits. Mushrooms were exposed to controlled electric currents at different voltages and frequencies.
“We will connect electrical wires and probes to different parts of the mushroom because different parts of it have different electrical properties,” Larocco said. “Depending on the voltage and connectivity, we were seeing different performances.”
Amazing results from mushroom circuits
After two months of testing, the researchers found that their mushroom-based memory could switch between electrical states as much as 5,850 times per second with about 90 percent accuracy. Although performance decreased at higher electrical frequencies, the team found that connecting multiple mushrooms together helped to revive stability – much like neural connections within the human brain.
Co-author of the study and an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Ohio State, Kudsia Tahmina, said the findings highlight how mushrooms may be easily adapted for computing. “Society has develop into increasingly aware of the necessity to protect the environment and make sure that we preserve it for future generations.
Tahmina said that constructing on the flexible mushroom offering also shows the potential to scale fungal computing. For example, large mushroom systems may be useful in edge computing and aerospace research. Miniaturized in enhancing the performance of autonomous systems and wearable devices.
Looking ahead: The way forward for fungal computing
Although organic monuments are still of their infancy, scientists aim to enhance cultivation methods and shrink the dimensions of the device in future work. Achieving smaller, more efficient fungal components shall be key to creating viable alternatives to traditional microchips.
“Everything you need to start exploring fungi and computing can be as small as a compost heap and some household electronics, or as large as a culture factory with pre-made templates,” Larocco said. “All of these are doable with the resources we have.”
Other Ohio State contributors to the study include Ruben Petrica, John Simons, and Justin Hill. This research was supported by Honda Research Institute.