Johannes Kepler University researchers create “MycelioTronics”

In Austria, scientists have dubbed the new innovative substance “MycelioTronics” and researchers Johannes Kepler University Linz believe it’s a “global first” that could result in more sustainable electronics. At any rate, the fungal skin is an “ingenious barrier”.

As described in the journal “Science Advances”, the approach was “more or less an accidental discovery”. Tnstitute has focused on the topic of “fungi” for some time now but more in other contexts, such as insulation in the construction industry and using mycelium materials as an alternative to Styrofoam.

As part of a new study, the team (which has made waves in recent years thanks to many new developments in robotics and electronics) also looked at applying fungi to support sustainable electronics. Scientists discovered that in order to protect itself from pathogens and other fungi, glossy paint fungus forms a closed mycelium skin on the surface of its growing medium. It turns out that this skin can be easily removed then processed further.

The material’s robust, flexible, and heat resistant properties could potentially become a polymer substitute for polymers currently used in making flexible electronic components. Kaltenbrunner explained that all types of printed circuit boards are made out of composite materials that are generally difficult to separate, recycle, or decompose. This biodegradable mushroom skin, however, is now emerging as a true alternative.