Initial attempts at biodegradable electronics failed to match even basic requirements. Plant-based materials warped under heat. Bio-plastics couldn’t achieve the necessary electrical properties. Natural fibers proved too rough and irregular for precise circuit patterns. Each alternative solved one challenge while falling short on others, leading many to conclude that environmental sustainability would require compromising performance.

A research team at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria, has now disproven this assumption by transforming fungal tissue into circuit boards that match conventional materials in performance while decomposing completely after use. Their approach targets the fundamental properties of the material rather than trying to replicate traditional manufacturing processes.

The findings are published in Advanced Materials (“Advanced Mycelium Skins for Sustainable Electronics”).