In Switzerland, researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have developed a biodegradable battery made from fungus.
The battery is 3D-printed using fungi cells mixed with printing ink. The battery is activated by adding water and nutrients and works by creating an anode of yeast fungus and a cathode of white rot fungus. “Strictly speaking, the cell is not a battery, but a…microbial fuel cell,” Empa researcher Carolina Reyes told Yanko Design.
Currently, the battery doesn’t create much electricity, but could one day be used in applications where a sensor is needed for a short period of time and biodegradability is beneficial.