Scientists Create Living Computers Powered by Mushrooms

 Mushroom Computers? How Fungi Could Power the Future of Low-Energy Computing

What if the future of computing didn’t rely entirely on silicon, rare earth metals, or massive energy-hungry data centers—but instead grew quietly in the dark?

It sounds like science fiction, but new research suggests fungi—yes, mushrooms—can store and process information, much like the silicon chips inside today’s computers.

 A recent study from The Ohio State University shows that common edible mushrooms such as shiitake can be transformed into organic memristors, a type of memory component essential to computing.

This breakthrough opens the door to sustainable, low-energy, brain-inspired computing architectures—and it could change how we think about technology itself.

What Are Memristors (and Why Do They Matter)

To understand why this discovery is exciting, let’s start with the basics.

A memristor (short for memory resistor) is an electronic component that:

• Processes electrical signals

• Remembers previous states

• Mimics how neurons work in the human brain

Unlike traditional memory (RAM), memristors don’t need constant power to retain information, making them ideal for:

• Low-energy computing

• Artificial intelligence

• Neuromorphic (brain-like) systems

Until now, memristors were mostly built using silicon and metal oxides—materials that are costly, energy-intensive, and environmentally damaging to produce.

That’s where mushrooms come in.

How Mushrooms Behave Like Computer Memory

Researchers at Ohio State discovered that fungal networks exhibit memory-like electrical behavior. When electrical signals pass through certain parts of a mushroom, the fungus “remembers” those signals by changing how it responds in the future—exactly how a memristor works.

Key findings from the study:

• Shiitake mushrooms functioned as organic memristors

• Electrical memory effects were repeatable and reliable

• The system achieved up to 5,850 signal switches per second

• Accuracy reached around 90%

• Performance improved when multiple mushrooms were connected, similar to neural networks in the brain

In short: fungi can compute.

Turning Edible Mushrooms into Memory Devices

The process was surprisingly simple:

1. Mushrooms were grown and allowed to mature

2. They were dehydrated for long-term stability

3. Electrical probes were attached to different parts of the mushroom

4. Voltage signals were applied across varying frequencies

Different regions of the mushroom produced different electrical responses, revealing a complex, programmable system.

“Depending on the voltage and connectivity, we were seeing different performances,”
— John LaRocco, Lead Author, Ohio State University

Why Fungal Computing Is a Sustainability Breakthrough 

One of the biggest drivers behind this research is environmental sustainability.

Traditional computing relies on:

• Rare earth minerals

• Energy-intensive fabrication

• Non-biodegradable electronic waste

Fungi, on the other hand, are:

• Biodegradable

• Low-cost

• Easy to grow

• Environmentally friendly

As researcher Qudsia Tahmina explains, society is becoming more aware of the need to protect the planet—and technology must evolve accordingly.

Fungal electronics could drastically reduce:

• Electronic waste (e-waste)

• Carbon footprints of data centers

• Dependence on scarce natural resources

Brain-Inspired Computing: Learning from Nature

One of the most exciting implications of mushroom memristors is their similarity to biological neural networks.

Just like the human brain:

• Performance drops at higher signal frequencies

• Efficiency improves by adding more “nodes”

• Systems adapt based on past signals

This makes fungal computing especially promising for:

• Artificial intelligence

• Edge computing

• Autonomous systems

• Wearable technology

• Space and aerospace exploration

Instead of forcing nature to fit machines, this research lets machines learn from nature.

Is Mushroom Computing Ready for the Real World?

Not yet—but it’s getting closer.

The researchers acknowledge that current fungal memristors are still too large for commercial use. Future work will focus on:

• Miniaturizing fungal electronics

• Improving cultivation techniques

• Enhancing stability and speed

• Integrating with existing computing systems

Still, the fact that living organisms can be programmed to behave like memory chips is a massive step forward.

The Bigger Picture: Rethinking Technology

This research challenges a core assumption of modern computing: that intelligence must be built from metal and silicon.

Instead, it suggests a future where:

• Computing is grown, not manufactured

• Memory systems are organic and biodegradable

• Technology works with nature, not against it

From edible mushrooms to memory devices, fungal electronics prove that innovation doesn’t always come from faster processors—but sometimes from unexpected life forms beneath our feet.

Final Thoughts: The Quiet Revolution of Fungal Electronics

Mushroom-based computing may sound strange today, but so did silicon chips once.

As demand grows for low-power computing, sustainable electronics, and brain-inspired AI, fungi could become an unlikely hero of the next technological revolution.

The future of computing might not be built in clean rooms—it might be grown.