Scientists powered a simple computer with photosynthesizing cyanobacteria — It worked for six months!
A microprocessor that was supplied with energy by the simplest single-celled organisms that live on Earth worked for more than six months. According to scientists, cyanobacteria batteries could be the future of the Internet of Things.
The statement that computers are everywhere has become a truism. Not only laptops and phones, but also refrigerators, washing machines, cars, biometric sensors, watches, implants or toys contain microcontrollers.
These are very simple microcomputers, consisting of a single integrated circuit. They control various types of electronic devices, often belonging to the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). A refrigerator displaying recipes to us or a fitness band are fashionable gadgets making life easier. However, we rarely realize the ecological consequences of their growing popularity.
Already, billions of devices make up the Internet of Things. By 2035, there are expected to be more than a billion of them across the planet. In order for them to work, they must be equipped with lithium-ion batteries to provide them with power. However, they are environmentally very expensive to produce.
