In Ohio, scientists at Ohio State University have shown that mushroom mycelium can act as a form of data storage. In controlled lab experiments, researchers cultivated shiitake and button mushroom mycelium in Petri dishes, dried the samples until hardened, then rehydrated them to restore conductivity. Electrodes attached to the fungal material revealed that its resistance could “remember” previous electrical states, functioning like organic memristors.
Unlike traditional electronics, fungal networks don’t rely on rare-earth metals, consume less energy, and can eventually be composted. Shiitake mushrooms even demonstrate resistance to radiation, raising the possibility of mushroom-based hardware for extreme environments, including outer space.