Fungal Battery Powers Small Sensors with Sustainable Energy

[davidfremnbe]

Fungi, known for their wide range of forms and functions, have been shown to possess yet another remarkable ability: generating electricity. Researchers from Empa’s Cellulose and Wood Materials laboratory have developed a functioning fungal battery as part of a three-year project funded by the Gebert Rüf Stiftung’s Microbials program. While the electricity produced is not abundant, it is sufficient to power devices like temperature sensors for several days, useful in fields such as agriculture and environmental research. The key advantage of this fungal battery is its non-toxic and biodegradable nature, unlike conventional batteries.

Technically, the device is a microbial fuel cell rather than a traditional battery. Microorganisms, like all living beings, convert nutrients into energy, and microbial fuel cells capture part of that energy in the form of electricity. Although microbial fuel cells have typically relied on bacteria, this is the first time two types of fungi have been combined to create a working fuel cell. Carolina Reyes, an Empa researcher, explained that the two fungi species complement each other: a yeast fungus on the anode side releases electrons during its metabolism, while a white rot fungus on the cathode side produces an enzyme that captures and conducts those electrons.

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The fungi are integral to the fuel cell from the beginning, not added afterward. The researchers use 3D printing to manufacture the components of the fungal battery, allowing them to structure the electrodes in a way that maximizes the fungi’s access to nutrients. The printing ink contains fungal cells, and creating this ink presented a challenge. According to Gustav Nyström, Head of the Cellulose and Wood Materials lab, the ink needed to be easy to extrude without damaging the cells, while also being electrically conductive and biodegradable. Thanks to their expertise in 3D printing soft, bio-based materials, the team was able to create an ink based on cellulose, which the fungi can even use as a nutrient, aiding in the decomposition of the battery after use. The fungal cells’ preferred nutrient is simple sugars, which are added to the cells.

The fungal batteries can be stored in a dried state and activated on-site by adding water and nutrients, allowing for easy deployment. Despite the robustness of the fungi during dry periods, the researchers faced challenges working with living materials. This interdisciplinary project, which merges microbiology, materials science, and electrical engineering, required Reyes to learn electrochemistry techniques and adapt them for use with 3D-printing inks.

The team plans to enhance the power and longevity of the fungal battery and explore other types of fungi that could be used to generate electricity. Both Reyes and Nyström agree that fungi are under-explored and under-utilized in the field of materials science.