Mushrooms: Electrical Conductors Or Not?

Scientists have discovered a way to generate electricity from mushrooms, which could be a new form of sustainable energy. This was achieved by using 3D printing to deposit cyanobacteria and graphene onto mushrooms, which then produced electricity when exposed to light. In addition, research has suggested that mushrooms naturally communicate with each other using electrical impulses, indicating a potential electrical language. These findings highlight the potential for combining nature with electronics and exploring sustainable energy alternatives.

Bionic mushrooms can generate electricity

Bionic Mushrooms: A New Source of Electricity

Mushrooms have long been recognised as natural hosts of bacteria and other microbes. However, a recent discovery by researchers has elevated their potential beyond this. Scientists have now successfully generated electricity from mushrooms, marking a significant step towards sustainable energy.

The Power of Bionic Mushrooms

The creation of bionic mushrooms involves a combination of 3D printing, conductive ink, and bacteria. Researchers printed two types of "ink" onto mushrooms: a green ink made from cyanobacteria and a black ink composed of graphene. The cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are the key to capturing energy from light through photosynthesis, similar to plants. The graphene, a thin sheet of carbon atoms, serves as an excellent conductor of electricity.

When light is shone on the cyanobacteria, they release electrons through photosynthesis. These electrons then flow into the graphene, creating an electric current. This process was successfully demonstrated by a team led by applied physicist Sudeep Joshi from the Stevens Institute of Technology.

The Challenges and Future Potential

One of the main challenges faced by the researchers was printing on the curved surface of mushroom caps. They overcame this obstacle by developing a specialised computer program that allowed them to 3D-print their ink onto the curved tops.

While the amount of electricity produced by a single mushroom is negligible, the true power lies in combining multiple mushrooms. According to Joshi, connecting mushrooms in series and optimising the bio-currents could generate enough electricity to power an LED light bulb. This concept of harnessing electricity from mushrooms opens up new avenues for exploring sustainable energy sources, especially as countries increasingly seek alternatives to fossil fuels.

The Language of Fungi

Beyond their potential for electricity generation, mushrooms also exhibit fascinating electrical communication capabilities. Research suggests that mushrooms communicate using electrical impulses, forming intricate patterns that resemble a vocabulary of up to 50 "words." While the direct comparison to human language remains uncertain, the processing of information through these electrical spikes is undeniable.

The world of mushrooms and fungi continues to reveal its secrets, from generating electricity to potentially possessing a language of their own. As scientists delve deeper into these discoveries, we may unlock innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.

Using 3D printing, conductive ink and bacteria

In an innovative experiment, scientists have successfully generated electricity from mushrooms by combining 3D printing, conductive ink, and bacteria. The process involves printing two types of "inks" onto mushrooms: a green ink made of cyanobacteria and a black ink made of graphene. The cyanobacteria capture energy from light through photosynthesis, releasing electrons in the process. The graphene, with its excellent electrical conductivity, collects these electrons to create an electric current.

This experiment highlights the potential of using 3D printing with conductive ink and bacteria to create unique electronic devices. 3D printing offers flexibility in depositing conductive inks onto various substrates, including non-planar surfaces like mushroom caps. Conductive inks, composed of metal nanoparticles in a host liquid, can be adapted to different printing processes and substrates, making them attractive for 3D printed electronics.

The use of bacteria in this context is particularly intriguing. Certain bacteria, such as cyanobacteria, have the ability to generate electricity through photosynthesis. By harnessing this capability and combining it with 3D printing and conductive inks, scientists can explore new ways of generating sustainable energy. The bacteria-infused inks act as bio-inks, allowing for the precise printing of conductive and non-conductive areas onto graphene oxide sheets, resembling graphene's desirable properties.

Additionally, 3D printing with bacteria opens up possibilities for creating bespoke graphene-like materials. For instance, the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis can be printed in specific patterns, enabling the customization of material properties. This technology could find applications in space exploration, with the potential to use bacteria to modify substances in lunar dust and create electronic devices.

While the amount of electricity produced by the bionic mushroom was negligible, the researchers believe that connecting multiple mushrooms in series could generate enough power to light an LED bulb. This proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates the potential for future research and the development of sustainable energy sources.

Mushrooms communicate with electrical impulses

Mushrooms, or fungi, communicate with electrical impulses. Previous research has shown that fungi transmit electrical impulses through long, underground filamentous structures called hyphae. These structures are similar to nerve cells in the human body. The firing rate of these impulses increases when the hyphae of wood-digesting fungi come into contact with wooden blocks. This suggests that fungi may use this electrical "language" to communicate information about food or injury with distant parts of themselves or with other organisms such as trees.

Further research has found that mushrooms produce patterns of electric signals, indicating possible communication. These spikes in electrical activity often cluster into trains of activity, resembling vocabularies of up to 50 words. The distribution of these "fungal word lengths" closely matches those of human languages. Split-gill mushrooms, which grow on decaying wood, produced the most complex "sentences". However, it is unclear what these electrical signals truly represent, if anything at all.

The ability of mycelium-bound composites to convey electrical signals enables the transmission of frequency-modulated information. Mycelium networks were found to reliably transfer signals with a recoverable frequency in the 100 Hz to 10,000 Hz range. This discovery has implications for using mycelium-bound composites in analogue electronics and unconventional computing.

By understanding the electrical language of fungi, we may gain valuable insights into changes in the environment. Fungi are sensitive to various ecological factors, such as soil quality, water purity, and pollution. Interpreting their electrical signals could help us monitor and understand these environmental changes more effectively.

Fungi's 'language' has 50 'words'

Mushrooms: The Electric Fungi with a Language of Their Own

Mushrooms have long been associated with magic and mystery, and now they can add electricity to the list. In a fascinating development, scientists have discovered that mushrooms can be turned into electricity-generating powerhouses. But that's not all – these fungi may also communicate with each other using electrical impulses, forming a unique language with a vocabulary of around 50 "words."

The Electric Mushroom

The idea of mushrooms conducting electricity may seem far-fetched, but it's a reality thanks to the innovative work of researchers. By combining 3D printing, conductive ink made of graphene, and photosynthetic bacteria, scientists have created “bionic mushrooms" capable of generating electricity. These mushrooms have been engineered to host cyanobacteria, which produce electricity through photosynthesis, and the graphene ink helps to capture and transmit the resulting electric current.

The Language of Fungi

While the electric mushroom is an exciting development, it's the potential language of fungi that has captured the imagination of many. Professor Andrew Adamatzky of the University of the West of England has led research suggesting that mushrooms communicate using electrical impulses. These impulses, transmitted through long, underground filamentous structures called hyphae, form patterns that resemble vocabularies of up to 50 "words." The split gill mushroom, in particular, produced remarkably diverse and complex "sentences."

However, it's important to note that the idea of a fungal language is still speculative. While the electrical impulses and patterns are intriguing, scientists are unsure if they truly equate to a form of language. The impulses could be related to the fungi's internal information processing or even serve as a way to maintain their integrity, similar to wolves howling to strengthen their pack bonds.

Unlocking Nature's Secrets

Whether or not fungi are chatting away in their unique language, these discoveries highlight the incredible potential of nature. By understanding how mushrooms can generate electricity, we open doors to sustainable energy sources. And by deciphering the language of fungi, we may gain valuable insights into environmental changes, as suggested by Merlin Sheldrake in their book, "Entangled Life." As researchers continue to explore the intersection of nature and technology, we may uncover even more fascinating secrets and innovative solutions.

A sustainable energy source?

Mushrooms, or rather, the cyanobacteria that can be encouraged to grow on them, have the potential to be a sustainable energy source. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can produce their own food from sunlight using photosynthesis—a process that splits water molecules and releases electrons.

Scientists have long wanted to harness the power of these microbes to generate electricity, but the bacteria have not survived long on artificial surfaces. However, in 2018, researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, found a way to use 3D printing to deposit the bacteria onto a living surface—a mushroom.

The researchers printed two types of "ink" onto the mushrooms. One was a green ink made of cyanobacteria, which they used to make a spiral pattern on the cap. The other was a black ink made of graphene, a thin sheet of carbon atoms that conducts electricity well. They printed this in a branching pattern across the mushroom top. When light was shone onto the mushrooms, the microbes released electrons, which flowed into the graphene and created an electric current.

The amount of electricity produced was small, but the researchers believe that multiple mushrooms could eventually be able to power an LED light bulb. This research could help spur future experiments into the energy potential of cyanobacteria, which may eventually lead to a viable source of sustainable energy.

In addition, previous research has shown that mushrooms themselves can conduct electricity. Scientists have found that mushrooms communicate with each other using electrical impulses, which may be similar to human language. This research could also potentially be used to develop new forms of sustainable energy.

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