Could bacteria powered batteries be more environmentally friendly? PhotoAlto / Alamy Stock Photo
A paper battery powered by electron-harvesting bacteria could one day power environmentally friendly disposable devices.
Researchers have been working on paper sensors and circuit boards for years, but they have mostly been powered by traditional batteries or simple chemical reactions. Yang Gao and Seokheun Choi at the State University of New York-Binghamton created a paper battery powered by bacteria to do the job instead.
The battery is made of waxed paper, with thin layers of metals and polymers printed on top to hold bacteria and harvest electrons.…
