Algae-powered Computing: Scientists Create Reliable and Renewable Biological Photovoltaic Cell
upstart writes:
Algae-powered computing: Scientists create reliable and renewable biological photovoltaic cell:
Researchers have used a widespread species of blue-green algae to power a microprocessor continuously for a year -- and counting -- using nothing but ambient light and water. Their system has potential as a reliable and renewable way to power small devices.
The system, comparable in size to an AA battery, contains a type of non-toxic algae called Synechocystis that naturally harvests energy from the sun through photosynthesis. The tiny electrical current this generates then interacts with an aluminium electrode and is used to power a microprocessor.
[...] "The growing Internet of Things needs an increasing amount of power, and we think this will have to come from systems that can generate energy, rather than simply store it like batteries," said Professor Christopher Howe in the University of Cambridge's Department of Biochemistry, joint senior author of the paper.
[...] In the experiment, the device was used to power an Arm Cortex M0+, which is a microprocessor used widely in Internet of Things devices. It operated in a domestic environment and semi-outdoor conditions under natural light and associated temperature fluctuations, and after six months of continuous power production the results were submitted for publication.
Journal Reference:
P. Bombelli, A. Savanth, A. Scarampi, et al. Powering a microprocessor by photosynthesis, Energy & Environmental Science, 2022.
DOI: 10.1039/D2EE00233G
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