Batteries are the driving force behind our technologically advanced present and future. After all, they power everything from our remote controls, cameras, phones, laptops, and electric vehicles to equipment, robotics, and energy storage.
In light of batteries’ varied use cases, its market size has grown to be valued at $134.62 billion in 2024 and is projected to further expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.4% by 2030.
With the demand for batteries consistently growing, a focus is now on improving the technology to offer enhanced energy density, better safety, longer lifetime, and reduced charge time.
Besides improving the performance of batteries, a greater focus is now also on reducing their environmental impact. This is because of the increasing e-waste, which is estimated to reach 74.7 Mt by the end of this decade due to the disposal of electronics with components that either do not degrade easily or are not readily recyclable.
At the same time, nonrenewable materials are fast dwindling, creating an urgent need for new sustainable energy sources that can be processed efficiently and have a minimum impact on the environment.
To meet the rapid need for developing green electronics that use non-toxic, more environmentally friendly, and renewable materials in their components, Empa researchers have created a biodegradable fungal battery that, instead of charging, needs feeding. This living battery, which is 3D-printed, could supply power to sensors used in agriculture or research in remote regions. Once this fungal battery has done its work, it digests itself from the inside.
These bio-battery or microbial fuel cells (MFCs) utilize microorganisms’ redox metabolism to create energy.
Microorganisms used in these kinds of fuel cells metabolize organic matter like wastewater or sugars and, in the absence of such matter, use light energy and photosynthesis. An MFC consists of an anode and a cathode, and they are either separated by a proton exchange membrane (PEM) or are left open in a single-compartment device.
Besides remote sensing and environmental monitoring devices, MFCs are of interest for applications such as wearable electronics and biomedical diagnostic devices. They are particularly beneficial in stand-alone applications that do not need access to the main energy grid.
Bacterial, algal, and archaeal are some types of MFCs. When it comes to fungal MFCs, those with yeast and white-rot fungi have been studied, but they have not been combined until now.
Fungi: A Growing Area of Interest
The focus of this three-year research project is fungi, which are eukaryotic organisms, meaning their cells have membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei. Fungi do not fall under the plant kingdom and are distinguished from all other living organisms as well.
Mushrooms are the most easily recognized fungi. Other types include yeasts, rusts, mildews, and molds. Fungi are actually everywhere: in the soil, air, lakes, seas, plants, animals, food, and the human body. Together with bacteria, they help break down organic matter and release oxygen, carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen into the soil and the atmosphere.
In our daily lives, they are commonly used to make bread, wine, beer, and certain cheeses, as well as make foods that are high in protein. Fungi also make important contributions to managing diseases but, at the same time, are responsible for disease-causing pathogens.
Studies of fungi have helped us gain fundamental knowledge of biology and continue to be an area of interest for studying cell and molecular biology, genetic engineering, and other basic disciplines of biology.
In the medical field, magic mushrooms are of particular interest due to containing psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychoactive alkaloid that has hallucinogenic effects. As we shared in our recent article, an explosion of research is exploring psilocybin’s use to treat mental and psychological disorders.
The ability of fungi to transform organic materials into useful products has created a lot of interest in fungal biotechnology as well, where they can help advance the transition to a bio-based circular economy.
By offering solutions for securing, stabilizing, and enhancing the food supply for the growing human population while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fungal biotechnology has the potential to make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation.
While fungi have been seeing a lot of attention in different areas, the same cannot be said in regard to the materials science field, where they remain under-researched and, of course, under-utilized, which may finally change as researchers use fungi to generate electricity.
The latest study demonstrates the development of a functioning fungal battery, which, while it does not produce a lot of electricity, can generate enough to power a temperature sensor for several days. These kinds of sensors are used in environmental research or in the agriculture industry.
Unlike traditional batteries, this fungal battery is completely non-toxic and biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly option.
BioBattery: Green Electronics is Here
The organic-based battery from The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, a research institution for application-oriented materials science and technology, has facilitated fungal metabolism and associated energy generation.
Source: ACS
The living cell here is a microbial fuel cell. Microorganisms, much like any living thing, convert nutrients into energy, and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) also utilize this metabolism to create energy and then capture part of it as electricity.
Microbial fuel cells have been mostly powered by bacteria until now when, for the very first time, Empa researchers “combined two types of fungi” whose metabolism works very well together “to create a functioning fuel cell.”
The researchers used a yeast fungus on the anode side, where its metabolism releases electrons, and a white rot fungus was used on the cathode side, where it produces a special enzyme that allows the capturing of electrons and is then conducted out of the cell.
The researchers incorporated fungi into the battery as an integral part of the cell from the very beginning. They used 3D printing to manufacture the components of the fungal battery, which gave them full geometric freedom to print devices of arbitrary form and shape that can be seamlessly integrated with other electronic components.
This way, they were able to structure the electrodes in a specific manner under which microorganisms can access the nutrients as easily as possible.
Now, the way to do that was by mixing fungal cells into the printing ink. This means overcoming the challenge of not only finding a material in which the fungi can grow well but also extruding ink without killing the cells.
“Of course, we want it to be electrically conductive and biodegradable.”
– Gustav Nyström, Head of the Cellulose and Wood Materials lab
To make them electronically conductive, the team added carbon black and graphite flakes to the inks.
Having extensive experience in 3D printing soft, bio-based materials, the team was able to produce a cellulose-based ink (hydrogel fungal inks) that was suitable for the task. The study noted that utilizing cellulose for 3D printing fungal electrodes is a new way to channel the metabolic activity of fungi for potential use in electrochemical devices.
Cellulose is an abundant, low-cost, renewable, and biodegradable polymer that is derived from algae, bacteria, wood, and tunicates. It has actually been used successfully in making various types of organic-based electronics.
The fungal cells could even use the cellulose as a nutrient, which helps break down the battery after use. Their main source of nutrients, however, was simple sugars, which are added later to the battery cells.
“You can store the fungal batteries in a dried state and activate them on location by simply adding water and nutrients.”
– Empa researcher Carolina Reyes, a trained microbiologist
As per the study, these biobatteries can produce 300 to 600 mV for several days. By linking four batteries parallelly, a small sensor can be powered for 65 hours.
The team had developed materials, inks, and devices in their previous works for a new branch of green electronics, including displays, sensors, batteries, and supercapacitors. With this study, they expanded the possibilities of what they achieved in their previous experiments, where they provided devices that could store electric energy and generate energy in an environmentally safe system.
In the next phase, researchers aim to make the fungal battery more powerful and longer-lasting, as well as make the device fully 3D printable. They would also be looking into other kinds of fungi that are more fitting for the purpose of supplying electricity and making their device ready for use in practical applications in the field.
Now, let’s take a look at some key players operating in the battery and 3D printing markets.
1. Proto Labs, Inc. (PRLB +2.19%)
A provider of comprehensive digital manufacturing services, Proto Labs specializes in advanced manufacturing and 3D printing services to build custom parts for its customers.
Proto Labs started this year by expanding to full-service production, which the company calls “a natural evolution.” This will translate to better quality control and better pricing options while focusing on industry certifications, allowing the company to serve customers from start to finish. The catalyst for this expansion, Eric Utley, 3D printing applications engineering manager at Proto Labs, said, was the 3D Hubs acquisition in 2021 that increased their solutions base.
With sustainability becoming a pressing global concern and everyone from consumers, companies, and regulators working on reducing their environmental footprint by opting for recycled materials, Proto Labs has also introduced plastic materials made with recycled content to its CNC offering. This allows users to avoid using virgin materials for prototyping at no extra cost.
Proto Labs, Inc. (PRLB +2.19%)
With a market cap of $937.75 million, Proto Labs’ shares are currently trading at $38.26, down 2.12% YTD. It has an EPS (TTM) of 0.94 and a P/E (TTM) of 40.69.
For Q3 of 2024, the company reported a revenue of $125.6 million, a decrease of 3.9% compared to its record revenue of $130.7 million in the same quarter in the year prior to that. Net income for the quarter was $7.2 million. Meanwhile, operating cash flow was the highest since 2020 before Proto Labs acquired 3D Hubs.
Third quarter non-GAAP earnings per share were $0.47, while YTD adjusted EPS has been reported to be up over 10% YoY on flat revenue. In total, Protolabs served 22,511 customer contacts. Cash and investments balance, as of September 30, 2024, was $117.6 million.
2. BYD Company Ltd. (BYDDF: OTCPK)
The China-based BYD is primarily involved in the manufacture and sales of transportation equipment, but it is also engaged in building rechargeable batteries, photovoltaic products, and electronic devices for daily use.
With a market capitalization of $105.57 billion, BYD shares are currently trading at $33.33, down 1.99% YTD. It has an EPS (TTM) of 1.66 and a P/E (TTM) of 20.08, while the dividend yield is 1.31%.
According to the latest data released, BYD ranks second with a 23.19% share in power battery installed capacity in China, which reached 17.49 GWh. The total power battery installations in the country meanwhile amounted to 75.4 GWh, an increase of 57.3% year-on-year. For the full year of 2024, BYD ranked second with a 24.74 % share, while CATL maintained its position with a 45.08% share.
The leading producer of rechargeable batteries, BYD offers Lithium-ion batteries, NiMH batteries, and NCM batteries, which have a wide variety of uses, including consumer electronics, new energy vehicles, and energy storage. The critical point here is that the company owns the entire supply chain layout, allowing it to have better control over quality and cost.
BYD is now all set to launch the new generation of the Blade battery for EVs this year, which will be used in the company’s future vehicles. The first generation of Blade battery was introduced by BYD back in 2020, and its current generation is used by BYD to power its EVs as well as by other automakers like Tesla (TSLA -3.31%), Toyota (TM -1.92%), Ford (F +0.65%), Kia, and Hyundai.
In comparison to conventional lithium-ion batteries, these lithium-ion phosphorus (LFP) batteries are more cost-effective and have helped BYD introduce budget EV models that propelled its growth. The next generation of Blade batteries will further be more compact, efficient, safe, and offer more range.
When it comes to the company’s automobile business, BYS sold a record number of EVs and hybrids globally last year, while its biggest rival, Tesla, sold 4.3 million. China’s best-selling car manufacturer actually sold 1.76 million pure EVs in 2024 while it faces fierce competition in the home market, which has been propelled forward by hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies over the past decade.
As for the company revenue, for Q3 2024, the Chinese electric vehicle maker, which stopped producing gasoline engine vehicles in 2022, posted an 11.5% increase in net profit that rose to $1.63 billion while its revenue was up 24% on year to $28.24 billion.
Conclusion
Batteries, an important component of today’s electronics, as well as EVs, intuitive cellular networks, and deep space missions, are driving the technological revolution. However, the rapidly growing e-waste and diminishing nonrenewable materials require that we develop products based on renewable natural resources, which is becoming the area of focus, as we saw today with researchers turning to organic materials like fungi to build batteries.
Fungi, which have long been enriching life on Earth and shaping our future, have seen a growing wave of interest thanks to being the leaders in recycling and material transformation. They offer solutions to make the green shift to a bio-based circular economy, introducing new concepts to ensure human, plant, and animal health.
While fungi have been explored and used in agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology, the latest study marks a big step forward in the field of material science and microbial electrochemistry. It does so by using environmentally friendly materials in its construction and creating opportunities to 3D print various cellulose-based fungal electrodes for usage in microbial fuel cells.
Breakthroughs like these address pressing environmental challenges and open up new possibilities for designing bio-based, high-performance energy storage systems, helping us move closer to achieving a truly sustainable and circular economy.
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