Molecular wires charge biological fuel cells

Bionic limbs could run on biological power thanks to new nanotech wires
Bionic limbs could run on biological power thanks to new nanotech wires

Get ready for the Borg.

University of Georgia researchers have developed molecular wires that conduct electrical charges, a first step in developing biological fuel cells to power digital implants like pacemakers, internal computers and prosthetic limbs.

The nanotechnology wires are actually polymer chains grown on ultra-thin films of metal, and are so thin they're invisible even under high-power microscopes.

Bionic ears

For implanted electronics to be practical, scientists want to harness fuels source in the body, such as glucose, for use in biofuel cells to replace batteries.

However, while humans produce enzymes that do a good job of converting chemical energy into electrical energy, "they aren't very useful in this application because they have natural protective insulating layers that prevent good electron transport from active site to electrode," said chemist Jason Locklin. "Hopefully our molecular wires will provide a better conduit for charges to flow."

"This technique opens up the possibility for various uses in electronic devices such as sensors, transistors and diodes, although we don't yet understand all of the fundamental physics involved in how electrical charges move through organic materials."

The next step for Locklin is to develop appropriate applications. For example, his polymer wire technique might be used in devices that interface with living tissue, such as biochemical sensors, prosthetic limbs, pacemakers or bionic ears. "The film itself might be used in transistors—or in photovoltaic devices such as solar cells," said Locklin.

Latest in Computing
The Google Gemini logo against a black background.
I tried Gemini's new AI image generation tool - here are 5 ways to get the best art from Google's upcoming Flash 2.0 built-in image upgrade
apple macbook air against blue background
There's a huge MacBook Air sale right now – shop record-low prices from $629.99
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all
A smartphone on a sofa showing the WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal apps
Forget AI – WhatsApp is planning a simple messages feature that could be its most useful upgrade in years
Voice cloning
I cloned my voice in seconds using a free AI app, and we really need to talk about speech synthesis
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
Nvidia RTX 5080 stock is so barren that retailers are holding competitions where you can "win" the right to buy one for MSRP
Latest in News
The Google Gemini logo against a black background.
I tried Gemini's new AI image generation tool - here are 5 ways to get the best art from Google's upcoming Flash 2.0 built-in image upgrade
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Eurocom Raptor X18
At $15,000, this massive 256GB RAM laptop makes Apple's MacBook Pro look affordable, tiny and very, very slow
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all