The system is about the size of an AA battery and contains a non-toxic algae called Synechocystis that naturally harvests energy from the sun through photosynthesis, producing tiny electrical currents that interact with aluminum electrodes and are used to power a microprocessor powered by.
The system is made from common, inexpensive and mostly recyclable materials. That means it can easily be replicated hundreds of thousands of times to power a multitude of small devices as part of the Internet of Things. The researchers say it’s most useful in off-grid situations or in remote areas, where a small amount of electricity could yield big benefits.
Co-senior author of the paper, Professor Christopher Howe, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK, said: “The growing Internet of Things requires more and more electricity, and we think this has to come from systems that can generate energy, not something like It stores energy as easily as a battery.” And this photosynthetic device doesn’t run out of power like a battery because it’s constantly using light as an energy source.
In experiments, the device was confirmed to be widely used to power microprocessors in IoT devices. The Internet of Things is a large and growing network of electronic devices, each using only a small amount of electricity, collecting and sharing real-time data over the Internet. Using low-cost computer chips and wireless networks, billions of devices are part of that network, from smartwatches to temperature sensors in power stations. By 2035, this number is expected to grow to one trillion devices, requiring massive amounts of portable energy.
The researchers also explain why the device can operate in a domestic environment or semi-outdoor conditions with natural light and associated temperature fluctuations. The algae do not need to be fed, it produces its own food during photosynthesis, and although photosynthesis requires light, the device can continue to generate electricity even in dark environments because the algae continue to process some food in the absence of light, And this continues to generate current.
