Ohio State Researchers Built Memory Chips from Mushrooms

Scientists at The Ohio State University have successfully created functional memory chips using fungal mycelium.

Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Semiconductors

Isometric editorial illustration of an organic, mushroom-derived memory chip, representing a sustainable advancement in biological computing research. — Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed functional memory chips using mycelial substrates, an innovation aimed at reducing electronic waste. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should the electronics industry prioritize biodegradable substrates like fungi to reduce electronic waste?

Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed experimental memory chips using shiitake and button mushroom cultures. These biological memristors performed logic operations and maintained functionality even after dehydration.

Why it matters

This research seeks to address the growing environmental impact of silicon-based computing, which faces challenges from high electricity usage and massive quantities of global electronic waste. By exploring biodegradable alternatives, scientists hope to create a more sustainable future for the electronics industry.

The fungal memristors demonstrated 90% switching accuracy at speeds up to 5,850 Hz. These figures highlight the potential for organic substrates to perform complex computational logic tasks traditionally reserved for silicon components.

The players

The Ohio State University

This major public research university located in Columbus serves as the primary institution where the mushroom memristor study was conducted.

Leon Chua

An influential electrical engineer who theoretically predicted the existence of the memristor component in 1971.

Andrew Adamatzky

A researcher known for his work in unconventional computing who published the inaugural paper on fungal computing in 2018.

The details

The team grew memristors using mycelial substrates that acted as a computational medium. Researchers are now prioritizing the miniaturization of these chips and working to refine their consistency to improve operational reliability.

Leon Chua predicted the existence of the memristor in 1971.
Stanley Williams demonstrated the first physical memristor in 2008.
Andrew Adamatzky published the first research on fungal computing in 2018.
Global electronic waste production reached 68 million short tons in 2022.
Data centers accounted for 4.4% of national electricity consumption in 2023.

Deeper Dive

This research follows the 2018 fungal computing framework developed by Andrew Adamatzky, which originally explored the use of mycelium as a biological computational medium. The current development marks a significant transition from abstract logic modeling to the fabrication of tangible, data-storing hardware.

While this technology is currently in the experimental phase, it points toward a future where consumer electronics could be cheaper and easier to recycle. Success in this field could eventually reduce the reliance on scarce rare-earth elements in your personal devices.

The takeaway

By utilizing organic materials like mushrooms, scientists are uncovering potential paths to reduce the massive environmental toll of modern computing. Future adoption of biodegradable chips could fundamentally shift how we approach both product lifecycles and electronic waste management.