University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers recently reported that they had developed a biofilm that could absorb evaporation energy and transform it into electricity. This biofilm, which was just written about in Nature Communications, could soon change the wearable electronics industry. It could be used to power everything from medical sensors to personal electronics.
According to Xiaomeng Liu, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering at the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the paper’s primary author, “This is a very intriguing technology.” “It really is green energy, and, unlike other sources of so-called “green energy,” the whole process of making it is also green.”
This is due to the fact that a genetically modified strain of the bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens naturally produces this biofilm, a thin sheet of bacterial cells about the thickness of a sheet of paper. Electric devices have been powered by “microbial batteries” made of G. sulfurreducens, which is known to create electricity. However, these batteries need G. sulfurreducens to be adequately cared for and provided with a regular diet. This novel biofilm, which can produce as much energy as a battery of comparable size, if not more, functions and does so continually because it is dead. Additionally, since it is dead, feeding it is not necessary.
According to Derek Lovley, Distinguished Professor of Microbiology at UMass Amherst and one of the paper’s senior authors, “It’s far more effective.” By drastically reducing the amount of processing required, we have streamlined the electricity production process. We use the biofilm-like collection of cells after we have grown them sustainably. This reduces the energy inputs, simplifies everything, and increases the range of possible applications. ”
This novel biofilm generates energy from the moisture on your skin, which is its secret. Despite the fact that we hear about solar energy all the time, at least 50% of the solar energy that reaches the earth is used to evaporate water.The other senior author of the study and professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMass, Jun Yao, claims that this is a sizable untapped source of energy. The biofilm can “plug-in” and transform the energy locked in evaporation into enough energy to power small gadgets because the surface of our skin is continually moist from sweat.
Wearable electronics have always been constrained by the power supply, claims Yao. Batteries need to be recharged or changed as they deplete. Additionally, they are unwieldy, heavy, and bulky. ” All of these issues, however, can be addressed by a transparent, tiny, flexible biofilm that can be worn as a patch directly on the skin to provide an ongoing and reliable source of power.
All of this is possible because G. sulfurreducens forms colonies that resemble thin mats, and each individual microbe communicates with its neighbors via a network of inorganic nanowires. After collecting these mats, the team uses a laser to etch tiny circuits into the films. The films are then sealed in a soft, sticky, breathable polymer that you may apply straight to your skin once they have been etched and sandwiched between electrodes. Once “plugged in” to your body, this tiny battery can power small devices.
Yao says that the next step is to make our films bigger so that they can power more advanced electronics that can be worn on the skin. Liu adds that one goal is to power whole electronic systems instead of just a single device.
The Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst supported this research by bringing together the deep and interdisciplinary expertise of 29 departments to transform basic research into solutions that improve human health and well-being.
