Dissolvable Probiotic‐Powered Biobatteries: A Safe and Biocompatible Energy Solution for Transient Applications

For decades, science fiction has imagined electronic devices that spring to life on demand, function as programmed, and then vanish without a trace. Today, transient and bioresorbable electronics are making that vision a reality, sparking revolutionary progress in biomedicine, environmental stewardship, and hardware security. Yet one critical barrier remains: a fully transient power source with the same disappearing act. Microbial-based biobatteries have emerged as strong contenders, harnessing the power of microorganisms-found virtually everywhere-as natural biocatalysts. However, toxicity and health risks have limited these systems to single-use, often incinerable applications. Here, a transformative approach: a transient biobattery powered by commercially available probiotics that dissolves harmlessly is introduced, releasing only beneficial microbes. Fabricated on water-soluble or pH-responsive substrates, this biobattery capitalizes on a 15-strain probiotic blend to generate electricity across diverse electrode materials. By manipulating device length or encapsulating it with pH-sensitive polymers, power delivery can be fine-tuned from 4 min up to over 100 min. A single module outputs 4 µW of power, 47 µA of current, and an open-circuit voltage of 0.65 V. This groundbreaking design ushers in a new era of safe, effective transient bioenergy systems, opening unprecedented opportunities in biomedical implants, environmental sensors, and disposable electronics.

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Publication Details

Journal
Small
Published
2025-03-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202502633
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.80

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article

Dissolvable Probiotic‐Powered Biobatteries: A Safe and Biocompatible Energy Solution for Transient Applications

Maryam Rezaie, Seokheun Choi, Maedeh Mohammadifar
1 citations
Small
Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
0.80
article

Dissolvable Probiotic‐Powered Biobatteries: A Safe and Biocompatible Energy Solution for Transient Applications

Maryam Rezaie, Seokheun Choi, Maedeh Mohammadifar
article en
1 citations

Abstract

For decades, science fiction has imagined electronic devices that spring to life on demand, function as programmed, and then vanish without a trace. Today, transient and bioresorbable electronics are making that vision a reality, sparking revolutionary progress in biomedicine, environmental stewardship, and hardware security. Yet one critical barrier remains: a fully transient power source with the same disappearing act. Microbial-based biobatteries have emerged as strong contenders, harnessing the power of microorganisms-found virtually everywhere-as natural biocatalysts. However, toxicity and health risks have limited these systems to single-use, often incinerable applications. Here, a transformative approach: a transient biobattery powered by commercially available probiotics that dissolves harmlessly is introduced, releasing only beneficial microbes. Fabricated on water-soluble or pH-responsive substrates, this biobattery capitalizes on a 15-strain probiotic blend to generate electricity across diverse electrode materials. By manipulating device length or encapsulating it with pH-sensitive polymers, power delivery can be fine-tuned from 4 min up to over 100 min. A single module outputs 4 µW of power, 47 µA of current, and an open-circuit voltage of 0.65 V. This groundbreaking design ushers in a new era of safe, effective transient bioenergy systems, opening unprecedented opportunities in biomedical implants, environmental sensors, and disposable electronics.

SmallVol. 21(19)
Binghamton University (US)
National Science Foundation
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 31%
Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
0.80
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