Mycelia could form the architecture of future computer brain interfaces

Wetware: the concept of merging hardware and software with living tissue. It has been science-fiction fodder for decades. We've seen it in TV shows like Star Trek with the blind character Geordi La Forge's visor that allows him to see and in video games like the Deus Ex franchise, where all sorts of electronics can be fused to those who can afford it.

Much of science fiction is just an imaginative extension of scientific reality -- wetware is nothing new. Neural interfaces and other devices have been in development for decades. Some of them even work to an extent. A primary obstacle has been getting solid-state components to communicate with organic material. The two are so dissimilar it's challenging to create a way to translate one to the other, but what if electronics were made from organic matter?

That's what researchers at the Unconventional Computing Laboratory (UCL) at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) want to discover. The scientists there have developed a mushroom computer.

Source: Techspot, by Cal Jeffrey

Morel mushrooms are packed with unique fragrance, complete functions and evident effect to food therapy. This kind of mushroom holds the efficacy of tonifying kidney and brain, refreshing while it shows good auxiliary therapeutic effects on dizziness insomnia, weakness of the spleen and the stomach, indigestion and poor appetite. Besides, Morel mushroom also helps prevent and fight with cancer, ward off colds, enhance the immune system and hence it medically shows crucial development value.

Now, in China, market price of dried Morel mushroom is at 1600-2000 CNY per kg. In western European countries, Morels are extremely in tight supply and high price.

Unlike other mushrooms, Morel mushrooms hold poor adaptability, and poor stability in the case of alien cultivation. Therefore, strains isolated by local Morel variety match local surrounding, eliminate the regional differences and influences resulted from long-distance purchasing or the course of mailing.

Wild Morels could be largely foraged during March to May after the rain while they occasionally pop in during August to September in small quantities.

Morel mushrooms hold long growth period, apart from low temperature, they also require large temperature difference that stimulates the differentiation of mycelia.

When water content of soil is lower than 40%, growth of Morel mushroom would be affected. As fruiting bodies substantially occur, relative air humidity in forest is at 80% and general water content of soil is at a range of 40%-50%. Besides, suitable PH Value that fits for growth of Morel mushroom is 7-8, weak scattered light also impels the growth of fruiting bodies.

However, strong direct sunlight does adverse impact to the growth of More;s. In early spring, growers could timely spray water in dry circumstance, and keep soil moist, or growth of fruiting bodies would be restricted. In a word, in early spring, temperature and humidity of growing environment are key elements that guarantee the success of Morels cultivation.