Mycoelectronics: Bioprinted living fungal bioelectronics for artificial sensation

The intelligence of the human biological system is enabled by the highly distributed sensing receptors on soft skin that can distinguish various stimulations or environmental cues, thus establishing the fundamental logic of sensing and physiological regulation or response. To replicate biological perception, biohybrid systems integrating living organisms with electronics have been developed to sense environmental cues. However, current eukaryote-based biohybrids face slow growth, strict culture needs, and short lifespans, limiting real-world use. Here, we introduce fungi-based printable “ Mycoelectronics ” which are created by additive bioprinting of living fungal mycelium networks onto stretchable electronics, as a practical living thermoresponsive sensory platform. This mycoelectronics approach leverages fung‘s capabilities for rapid biological responsiveness, cultivability with exponential growth, stability and self-healing in ambient conditions, bioprintability for scalable manufacturing, and mechanical flexibility for seamless integration with soft electronics. We show that the thermal responsiveness of the fungal network arises from intrinsic cellular processes—specifically, heat-induced vacuole remodeling and fusion, which modulate ionic transport and thus the electrical conductivity of the mycelial cells and networks, enabling a rapid response. By bridging the gap between cell biology and soft electronics, the mycoelectronics device, with a living mycelial network, functions as a thermal sensation system with rapid response and intrinsic self-healing properties, autonomously restoring sensing capabilities after damage and establishing sensing pathways in hard-to-reach locations. Application demonstrations in environmental and agricultural monitoring and wearable sensing systems for humans and robots highlight the versatility of this living fungal sensor platform, suggesting promising opportunities in healthcare and the environment.

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Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2026-06-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2530456123
Primary Topic
Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Mycoelectronics: Bioprinted living fungal bioelectronics for artificial sensation

Denghao Fu, Yulu Cai, Vittorio Mottini, Kalpana Singh et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
article

Mycoelectronics: Bioprinted living fungal bioelectronics for artificial sensation

Denghao Fu, Yulu Cai, Vittorio Mottini, Kalpana Singh, Hang Yuan, Tuo Wang, Ke Zhao, I.S. Singh, Jinxing Li, Liuxi Xing, Caleb Ronders, Gregory Bonito, Bryce Waller, Khoi Nguyen, Linux Heller
article en

Abstract

The intelligence of the human biological system is enabled by the highly distributed sensing receptors on soft skin that can distinguish various stimulations or environmental cues, thus establishing the fundamental logic of sensing and physiological regulation or response. To replicate biological perception, biohybrid systems integrating living organisms with electronics have been developed to sense environmental cues. However, current eukaryote-based biohybrids face slow growth, strict culture needs, and short lifespans, limiting real-world use. Here, we introduce fungi-based printable “ Mycoelectronics ” which are created by additive bioprinting of living fungal mycelium networks onto stretchable electronics, as a practical living thermoresponsive sensory platform. This mycoelectronics approach leverages fung‘s capabilities for rapid biological responsiveness, cultivability with exponential growth, stability and self-healing in ambient conditions, bioprintability for scalable manufacturing, and mechanical flexibility for seamless integration with soft electronics. We show that the thermal responsiveness of the fungal network arises from intrinsic cellular processes—specifically, heat-induced vacuole remodeling and fusion, which modulate ionic transport and thus the electrical conductivity of the mycelial cells and networks, enabling a rapid response. By bridging the gap between cell biology and soft electronics, the mycoelectronics device, with a living mycelial network, functions as a thermal sensation system with rapid response and intrinsic self-healing properties, autonomously restoring sensing capabilities after damage and establishing sensing pathways in hard-to-reach locations. Application demonstrations in environmental and agricultural monitoring and wearable sensing systems for humans and robots highlight the versatility of this living fungal sensor platform, suggesting promising opportunities in healthcare and the environment.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 123(26)
Carnegie Department of Plant Biology (US), Michigan State University (US)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
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