Energy Revolution: These Biodegradable Batteries Are Made From Mushrooms and 3D Printing (They Can Change Everything)

A team of Swiss researchers has achieved an important milestone in the renewable energy sector: using i mushrooms to power biodegradable batteries. Thanks to work carried out at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), this innovative technology could represent a turning point for powering devices in remote areas. But how exactly do these mushroom-based batteries work?

The batteries developed by Empa scientists belong to the category of microbial fuel cellsin which microorganisms convert nutrients into energy, generating electricity. According to Carolina Reyes, researcher on the project, it is the first time they have been combined two types of mushrooms to create a functional battery.

The process uses a two-electrode configuration. On the negative side, or anode, a yeast is used which, during its metabolism, releases electrons. On the bright side, or cathode, a fungus known as white caries fungus produces a special enzyme that captures and conducts electrons out of the cell. These mushrooms are fed simple sugars, placed inside battery cells.

A unique feature of these batteries is their ability to be activate easilyas Reyes explains:

You can store them in a dried state and activate them directly on site by adding water and nutrients.

How are mushroom batteries produced?

The manufacturing process of these batteries is just as innovative as their operation. Mushrooms are not simply “added” to the drums, but integrated into the base material right from the start. This happens through a process of 3D printing.

The electrodes are specifically designed to provide microorganisms with easy access to nutrients, using a special ink. This ink is not only biocompatible, but also biodegradable, and is based on cellulosea material that fungi can use as an additional nutrient, as Gustav Nyström, head of Empa’s Cellulose and Wood Materials laboratory, says:

The main challenge was to find a material that allowed the mushrooms to grow well, was easy to extrude and, at the same time, conducted electricity.

Thanks to the team’s experience in 3D printing bio-based materials, it was possible to create an ink that meets all these requirements. Furthermore, at the end of the battery’s life cycle, the fungi themselves contribute to degrading it from the inside, making it completely eco-friendly.

Possible applications of mushroom batteries

Although the production of large quantities of electricity remains a long-term goal, mushroom batteries can already find applications in specific contexts. Currently, they generate enough energy to power small devices, such as temperature sensors, for several days. This makes them ideal foragriculture or for research in remote areas, where traditional solutions would be difficult to implement.

According to Reyes and Nyström, the potential of fungi is still largely unexplored, especially in the field of materials science:

Mushrooms represent an underestimated and little-studied kingdom of nature.

The next goal is to increase the efficiency and lifespan of these batteries and identify other species of fungi capable of producing electricity.