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3D printed biodegradable fungal ‘battery’ uses sugar to supply power then digests itself after

Researchers produce 3D printed biodegradable fungal ‘battery’

 

Researchers from Empa’s Cellulose and Wood Materials laboratory develop 3D printed biodegradable fungal ‘battery’. It uses sugar to supply power to small devices like sensors for several days. After that, it degrades or digests itself from the inside. The 3D printed biodegradable battery is a mix of two types of fungi. There’s a yeast fungus on the anode side whose metabolism releases electrons. For the cathode, the researchers use white rot fungus, which produces a special enzyme. It allows the electrons to be captured and conducted out of the cell. 

 

The Empa researchers say that strictly speaking, the invention is not a battery. It’s more of a microbial fuel cell because it converts nutrients, in this case sugar, into energy. They do not ‘plant’ these two fungi into the battery since they’re already part of it from the get-go. Using 3D printers, the researchers combine the fungal cells into the printing ink, which is made of degradable cellulose. The result gives them a 3D printed biodegradable battery made of fungi. It is electrically conductive enough and easy to extrude from the printer without killing the cells.

3D printed biodegradable battery
all images courtesy of Empa

 

 

Microbial fuel cell that can power up sensors for a few days

 

As the Empa researchers mention about their study, the 3D printed biodegradable fungal battery lacks a lot of electricity. For now, it can power up small devices, mainly (temperature) sensors, and can last for several days. This can be necessary during agriculture or in environmental research. In addition to that, the battery is non-toxic, unlike the conventional one, because researchers use biodegradable and natural materials like fungi to produce it.

 

For example, the ink the researchers use in 3D printing has cellulose in it, which can come from wood, cotton, and other natural fibers. The fungal cells in the 3D printed biodegradable battery can even use this cellulose as a nutrient, which helps it break itself down after use. But the researchers say that the preferred nutrient source of their natural device is simple sugars, hence already adding them in the printed product. They add that users can store the 3D printed biodegradable battery in a dried state or casing made of beeswax. Once they want to activate or use them to supply power, they can do so by adding water and nutrients, aka the simple sugars.

3D printed biodegradable battery
there’s a yeast fungus on the anode side whose metabolism releases electrons

3D printed biodegradable battery
for the cathode, the researchers use white rot fungus, which produces a special enzyme

the white rot fungus allows the electrons to be captured and conducted out of the cell
the white rot fungus allows the electrons to be captured and conducted out of the cell

3D printed biodegradable battery
the battery is more of a microbial fuel cell because it converts nutrients, in this case sugar, into energy

using 3D printers, the researchers combine the fungal cells into the printing ink
using 3D printers, the researchers combine the fungal cells into the printing ink

3D-printed-biodegradable-funga-battery-supplies-power-digests-after-use-designboom-ban

the fungal batteries are a mix of two fungi

detailed view of the white rot fungus
detailed view of the white rot fungus

the researchers say that users can store the 3D printed biodegradable battery in a dried state
the researchers say that users can store the 3D printed biodegradable battery in a dried state

3D-printed-biodegradable-funga-battery-supplies-power-digests-after-use-designboom-ban2

the cases here are made of beeswax

 

project info:

 

name: 3D printed biodegradable fungal battery

institution: Empa’s Cellulose and Wood Materials laboratory | @empa_materials_science

researchers: Carolina Reyes, Erika FivazZsófia Sajó, Aaron Schneider, Gilberto Siqueira, Javier Ribera, Alexandre Poulin, Francis W. M. R. Schwarze, Gustav Nyström

study: here

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