Like any battery, bio-batteries consist of an anode, cathode, separator, and electrolyte with each component layered on top of another.
These electrons and protons now play an important role in the release of stored chemical energy.
[1] The cathode then carries out a reduction half-reaction, combining the protons and electrons with the addition of oxygen gas to produce water.
In 2013, researchers found that E. coli is a good candidate for a living biobattery because its metabolism may sufficiently convert glucose into energy thus produce electricity.
discovered bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis, dubbed "electric bacteria", which can reduce toxic manganese ions and turn them into food.
This network of bacteria and interconnected wires creates a vast bacterial biocircuit unlike anything previously known to science.
In their research, co-cultures of iron-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria were exposed to simulated day-night cycles.
When exposed to light, the phototrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, were able to remove electrons from the magnetite thereby discharging it.
In dark conditions, the anaerobic Fe(III)-reducing bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens were able to reverse the process, putting electrons back onto the magnetite thereby recharging it.
[6] Although biobatteries are not ready for commercial sale, several research teams and engineers are working to further advance the development of these batteries.
[1] In the coming years, Sony plans to take bio batteries to market, starting with toys and devices that require a small amount of energy.