A recipe for biodegradable mushroom batteries

Myceliotronics are the latest discovery in biodegradable electronic components – battery parts made from mushrooms. The mycelium skin of a tree fungus can be used as a base layer for flexible circuit boards, as well as the casing and separator for a zinc–carbon battery.

The perfect sustainable electronic device should contain only components that can be easily recycled or are biodegradable. Electronics made from plant materials can’t usually compete with commercial devices when it comes to performance and durability. Paper-based electronics are highly biodegradable, but making paper requires a lot of energy and water.