(dr) EMPA
A team of researchers has created a battery powered by the combined efforts of two types of fungi. This non-toxic “biodegradable package” was 3D printed and is fully functional.
Scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) claim that this is the first time that two types of fungi were brought together to create a functional fuel cell, which uses fungal metabolism to convert nutrients from microbes into energy.
According to , the cell has an anode based on a yeast fungus whose metabolism releases electrons, and a cathode colonized by a white rot fungus. The latter produces an enzyme that allows electrons to be captured and conducted out of the cell.
The project, which lasted three years, also made it possible to discover how to manufacture the cell’s components through 3D printing.
The team found a way to mix fungal cells in a cellulose-based printing ink that, in addition to being electrically conductive, avoids damaging the cells. The paint, which is biodegradable, is also nutritious for fungiin that it serves as a medium for simple sugars on which fungi feed.
3D printing of this type of battery allows the “flexibility of producing them in any required shape and size”, in addition to incorporating the right amount of fungal material to produce as much energy as needed for specific applications, highlighted researcher Gustav Nyström.
These cells don’t produce much electricity, but they are ideal for outdoor devices and the environment as they decompose safely. Wrapped in beeswax, the batteries can power small sensors for monitoring temperature, light and humidity in agriculture and environmental research.
