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ABOUT BIOBATTERY
MYCELIUM
We wanted our product to be 100% biodegradable, so we decided to incorporate a biomaterial that resembles that of regular battery shells. Mycelium was chosen to replace Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic and steel because it has the following properties :
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Lightweight
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Moldable
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Fire-resistant
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Water-resistant
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Durable
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Strong
GEOBACTER
PILI
We found that there is a better alternative to the setup of regular batteries, one that does not use chemicals nor extracted metals. We found that the bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens is able to produce energy. E.coli was used to extract the proteins of interest, which then are used to create nanowires for our biofilm.
PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM
We wanted to reduce the amount of pollution that goes into the environment, whether it comes from the production process or the recycling process. Therefore, we decided to use portobello mushrooms as a biomaterial that could replace normal metal electrodes. Portobello mushrooms can be made into a conductive material through pyrolysis, a high-heat treatment. These mushroom electrodes are 100% biodegradable.
How It Works
The main component of the battery is the protein nanowire film. Ambient humidity (i.e. water in the air) is exposed to the top of the biofilm, and this creates a gradient as it tries to move into the biofilm. However, the water in contact with the proteins cause the carboxylic acid groups to split into H+ and COO-, generating a proton gradient that decreases movement down the biofilm.
While one protein nanowire film isn't enough to create the desired 1.5V, we have connected several in series, where the voltage adds up to 1.5.
Since current has to be taken into consideration when talking about electricity, we have also created capacitors out of mushrooms to store the energy that the nanowires makes. This way there is a steady current and voltage when in use.
The mushroom cathode and anode will be connected to its respective sides on the protein nanowire film. They are what causes the electricity to flow from the biofilm to what needs to be charged
All these components will be contained within the mycelium shell
Our batteries are rechargeable. When you want to use it, you flip the switch on the side of the shell to activate the flow of electricity. If it needs to recharge, you just flip the switch the opposite way.
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