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Centennial battery on bacteria

23.04.2023

Scientists have developed a battery that uses spore-forming bacteria to generate electricity.

Engineers at Binghamton University have used spore-forming bacteria to create a bio-battery that can be stored for long periods of time and will potentially work even after 100 years.

The coin-sized fuel cell was sealed with a piece of Kapton tape, a material that can withstand high and low temperatures. This made it possible to preserve the material for long-term storage. When the tape was removed and moisture got inside, the bacteria mixed with a chemical germ that stimulated the microbes to produce spores.

The energy of biochemical reactions was enough to power an LED, a digital thermometer, or a small clock. The researchers also found that thermal activation of bacterial spores reduced the time to reach full power from 1 hour to 20 minutes, and increased humidity increased electrical output. After a week of storage at room temperature, power generation decreased by only 2%.

"The overall goal is to develop a microbial fuel cell that can be stored for a relatively long period of time without degrading biocatalytic activity, and also quickly activated by absorbing moisture from the air," said Sohin Choi, co-author of the study.

The researchers said the current prototype is just the beginning of research. Although it shows good results for the full implementation and replacement of traditional batteries with bioaccumulators, such a fuel cell should turn on faster and produce more voltage.

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