BACTERIA BATTERY COULD RUN FOR A CENTURY – Researchers from Binghamton University’s Bioelectronics and Microsystems Laboratory have developed a battery that runs off of bacteria and could theoretically keep running for 100 years. Professor Seokheun Choi, the lead on the project, said, “The overall objective is to develop a microbial fuel cell that can be stored for a relatively long period without degradation of biocatalytic activity and also can be rapidly activated by absorbing moisture from the air.”
He continued, “We wanted to make these biobatteries for portable, storable and on-demand power generation capabilities. The problem is, how can we provide the long-term storage of bacteria until used? And if that is possible, then how would you provide on-demand battery activation for rapid and easy power generation? And how would you improve the power?”
The team created a dime-sized fuel cell, which was then sealed in Kapton tape, which resists extremely cold and hot temperatures. After the tape is removed, moisture enters in, which sets off a reaction between the bacteria and a chemical germinant that produces power, and spores.
The main drawback is the time it takes for the battery to produce power, which was originally 1 hour, but after adjusting temperatures and humidity levels it was reduced to 20 minutes.
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