A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst has developed an electronic microsystem that is capable of responding to data inputs without taking help from an external energy source. It is basically a self-autonomous living organism.
The microsystem is built using a novel type of electronics that can process ultralow electronic signals and fits a device that generates electricity “out of thin air” from the ambient environment. The new research has been published in the journal Nature Communications on June 7.
The research was led by Jun Yao, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering (ECE), along with Derek R. Lovley, a Distinguished Professor in microbiology.
Biomaterials for diverse environments
The two key components of the microsystem are built from protein nanowires, an electronic material made from microbes, and do not produce “e-waste.” The new study shows the potential of green electronics made from sustainable biomaterials that can interact with the human body and diverse environments.
According to the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, the project is making a “self-sustained intelligent microsystem.”
“It’s an exciting start to explore the feasibility of incorporating ‘living’ features in electronics. I’m looking forward to further evolved versions,” said Tianda Fu, lead author of the study.
Producing electricity out of thin air
The breakthrough research also shows an evolution of recent research by the team. Previously, the team discovered that electricity can be produced using an ambient environment with aid of a protein-nanowire-based Air Generator (Air-Gen). This device can produce electricity from almost all environments on Earth.
Last year, it was also reported that protein nanowires come in handy to build electronic devices called memristors.
“Now we piece the two together,” Yao said. “We make microsystems in which the electricity from Air-Gen is used to drive sensors and circuits constructed from protein-nanowire memristors. Now the electronic microsystem can get energy from the environment to support sensing and computation without the need for an external energy source (e.g. battery). It has full energy self-sustainability and intelligence, just like the self-autonomy in a living organism.”
