Fungi are miraculous. They supply us with meals, alcohol, medication, and the important decomposition that retains life going. And but, their potential could also be far larger. Fungi may be made into pc chips, bio-batteries, circuit boards, insulation, self-repairing constructing supplies, and reactive clothes. They will even devour plastic, take up heavy metals, and clear air pollution.
Make no mistake: the long run is fungal.
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10 Computer systems
Not solely are shiitake mushrooms scrumptious—they may even be the subsequent step in computing. In October 2025, researchers at Ohio State College introduced that these mushrooms may function natural reminiscence units. Mature fungi have been dried for preservation and hooked up to customized circuits. The mushrooms have been then uncovered to various electrical currents. The workforce discovered that mushroom-based RAM may swap between electrical states on the astounding velocity of 5,850 per second with 90% accuracy, mimicking the motion of semiconductors. The mushrooms carried out much less properly at greater frequencies, however stability elevated when particular person mushrooms have been linked collectively, mirroring the habits of human neurons.
Lead researcher John LaRocco notes that fungal electronics aren’t completely new, however their potential for sustainable computing is revolutionary. Fungal supplies are cheap, biodegradable, and require much less vitality to provide. They might get rid of digital waste and scale back dependence on uncommon earth minerals. Whereas fungal chips are at the moment slower than silicon, researchers envision them being utilized in aerospace analysis, edge computing, and wearable units.[1]
9 Plastic-Consuming Fungi
Now we have a plastic downside. A century in the past, plastic was launched as an inexpensive, sturdy miracle materials. Now it chokes landfills and decimates ocean life. We produce greater than 440 million tons (400 million metric tons) of plastic yearly, and an enormous proportion turns into waste. Fungi might supply an answer.
In 2011, undergraduates from Yale College made a outstanding discovery within the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest: a mushroom that would survive by consuming plastic. Pestalotiopsis microspora can reside on polyurethane as its sole supply of vitality and thrive in each oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor environments, similar to landfills.
It’s not alone. In 2017, scientists discovered one other species, Aspergillus tubingensis, that may break down polyurethane inside weeks. In 2024, researchers found Parengyodontium alum dwelling within the Nice Pacific Rubbish Patch, able to digesting UV-exposed polyethylene. Collectively, these fungi level to a future the place plastic air pollution could possibly be naturally damaged down reasonably than persisting for hundreds of years.[2]
8 Insulation
Fungi may additionally maintain the important thing to greener houses. Grown on agricultural waste, fungal root-like threads—or mycelium—may be formed into foam-like blocks that rival fiberglass or mineral wool for insulation. These blocks are light-weight, naturally fire-resistant, and have spectacular acoustic and thermal properties. They’re additionally carbon destructive, totally biodegradable, and require far much less vitality to provide.
In Alaska, the place temperatures can vary from −78°F (−61°C) in winter to 100°F (38°C) in summer time, mycologist Philipe Amstislavski has been growing fungal insulation utilizing native species grown on wooden pulp. Conventional insulation strategies, he notes, are “principally wrapping your own home in a plastic bag.” His workforce’s mycelium-based supplies have endured 9 years of testing with out mildew, offering breathable insulation that improves air high quality. Additional analysis is underway to find out long-term sturdiness, however outcomes to date look promising.[3]
7 Mycoremediation
Fungi can devour air pollution. The method, generally known as mycoremediation, depends on digestive enzymes secreted by mushrooms to interrupt down poisonous chemical substances similar to pesticides and petrochemicals. They will even take up heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium.
The idea dates again to 1963, when The Journal of Phytopathology printed analysis on white-rot fungi’s skill to degrade chlorophenols. That very same 12 months, U.S. authorities researchers Catherine Duncan and Flora Deverall explored related makes use of for wood-decaying mushrooms.
Fashionable research have confirmed fungi’s effectiveness. Researcher Danielle Stevenson’s Los Angeles brownfield tasks noticed hydrocarbon pollution drop by 50% in three months and heavy metals lowered by as much as 50% inside a 12 months. Oyster mushrooms, in the meantime, have been used to wash diesel spills and filter contaminated runoff. Although the fungi themselves develop into poisonous and may’t be eaten, their skill to revive polluted land is extraordinary.[4]
6 Leather-based
Processing animal leather-based is pricey and environmentally damaging, whereas most fake leathers depend on fossil fuels. Fungi supply a cleaner different. The key lies within the mycelium—the thread-like root construction—which types dense mats on natural substrates. As soon as compressed and handled, these mats resemble leather-based in texture and sturdiness. Some even “heal” small punctures when soaked in a nutrient bathtub that reactivates the dwelling fibers.
Mycelium leather-based is biodegradable and cost-effective. It’s produced from agricultural waste similar to corn husks and sawdust, avoiding the toxins and water waste of tanning. Research present its carbon footprint is over 90% decrease than conventional leather-based. Main manufacturers like Hermès, Stella McCartney, and Calvin Klein have partnered with firms producing these fungal leathers, similar to MycoWorks and Bolt Threads. The worldwide mushroom-leather market hit $12 million in 2024 and will exceed $300 million by 2033.[5]
5 Batteries
In January 2025, Swiss researchers introduced a biodegradable bio-battery powered completely by fungi. The 3D-printed system makes use of the complementary metabolism of two fungal species: yeast on the anode and white-rot fungus on the cathode. When sugars are added, the yeast’s metabolism produces electrons that stream to the white-rot fungus, producing an electrical present.
To construct the batteries, fungal cells are blended with carbon particles and ink to boost conductivity, then printed layer by layer. As soon as dried, they are often activated just by including water and vitamins. When spent, they are often composted with out harming the atmosphere.
Whereas these batteries at the moment produce a modest 0.3 volts—sufficient to energy sensors for days—they might play an important position in environmental monitoring and low-power electronics.[6]
4 Insoles
Foot fungus is normally one thing to keep away from—or is it? Fungal insoles symbolize cutting-edge biowearable know-how constructed from mycelium. Not like normal insoles, these good fungal variations can detect adjustments in moisture, load, and motion whereas producing their very own electrical energy.
As a result of fungal networks naturally conduct electrical indicators, they’ll sense stress and movement, adjusting in actual time. This has potential functions in sports activities efficiency, posture correction, and even medical diagnostics for circumstances similar to Parkinson’s illness.
The insoles are made by permitting Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) to colonize a substrate. Conventional insoles product of petrochemical foams can’t compete with their sustainability—or their self-repairing skill. The largest problem stays protecting the fungi moist sufficient to perform with out soaking the wearer’s sneakers.[7]
3 Preserve Meals Contemporary Utilizing Fungi
Need to preserve meals contemporary? Strive fungus. In 2025, researchers on the College of Maine created a water-resistant, food-safe movie from edible mushrooms that would substitute single-use plastics.
The workforce mixed turkey tail mushrooms with a nutrient-rich resolution of plant fibers, making use of the combination to denim, polyester, felt, and paper. After 4 days, the handled supplies repelled water, oil, and grease, whereas the untreated samples absorbed moisture instantly.
The coating, product of Trametes versicolor mycelia, types a layer as skinny as a coat of paint however simply as efficient. In keeping with researcher Catherine Howell, the cellulose–mycelium mix may even be sprayed onto 3D surfaces like cups or trays. Sooner or later, eco-friendly fungal coatings might shield meals packaging with out plastic waste.[8]
2 Circuit Boards
Every single day, the world produces greater than 140,000 tons of digital waste. To fight that, researchers at Austria’s Johannes Kepler College explored utilizing fungi to make biodegradable circuit boards.
Whereas finding out insulation supplies, a PhD pupil found that the bracket fungus Ganoderma lucidum grows a tricky “pores and skin” over its substrate. When peeled and dried, the pores and skin types versatile, heat-resistant sheets resembling parchment. Researchers used gold and copper layers to print circuits onto the fungal pores and skin, then etched away the surplus with lasers, leaving solely conductive pathways.
These mushroom-based boards can endure temperatures above 392°F (200°C) and decompose safely after disposal. They provide a sustainable different to conventional plastic-based electronics—and will assist scale back our rising e-waste disaster.[9]
1 Self-Therapeutic Concrete
Concrete cracks. Even small fissures could cause catastrophic failures in infrastructure. In 2018, researchers from Rutgers and Binghamton Universities proposed a stunning repair: a fungus that repairs concrete from inside.
By embedding dormant spores of Trichoderma reesei and vitamins into the concrete combine, the workforce found that water and oxygen coming into a crack reawaken the fungus. Because it grows, it precipitates calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), sealing the injury earlier than going dormant once more.
The method can restore cracks as much as 0.2 inches (5 mm) broad—bigger than any bacterial technique so far. As a result of fungi are extra resilient than micro organism, they’ll survive in harsh, dry concrete for years. If adopted on a big scale, fungal self-healing concrete may lengthen the lifespan of bridges, dams, and energy vegetation, dramatically lowering upkeep prices.[10]
