Biodegradable computer chips

    In current times, a lot of people are starting to acknowledge and put more thought into one of the biggest issues with our today's world - pollution. Even though it is a matter that cannot be resolved instantly, every single step towards stopping it helps. Researchers from the Johannes Kepler University in Austria managed to discover a new use of fungi that can greatly help with this issue. They discovered that Ganoderma lucidum mushroom skin could work as a substitute for the substrate used in electrical circuits (A substrate is the base of a circuit that insulates and cools the conductive metals sitting on top of it. Typically, they are made of non-degradable plastics, which are discarded after use). According to the research paper, the fungi skin is faintly less insulating than plastic, but it still managed to work greatly in electronic circuits. With the thickness similar to a sheet of paper and ability to withstand temperatures exceeding 200 Celsius degrees, it acts as a good substitute to the substrates used nowadays. Maybe the goal to create our world a better place to live in isn't as far away as it seems.


https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/15/world/mushroom-skin-electrical-circuits-scn-scli-intl/index.html

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