Energy production and storage using biological ion transport systems

This project aims to create a green energy storage system that integrates a biological voltage source with a biological supercapacitor to achieve large energy and power capacities in a light-weight sustainable packaging.

The project re-defines the concept of biological engineering to be one that utilizes proteins, molecules and lipids in combination with synthetic materials to assemble the smart micro/nanostructured energy storage system.

There are at least four advantages to this biological engineering approach, including (i) the capability for self-assembly, (ii) the easy scalability that follows from using self-assembly, (iii) the easy assembly into 3D structures, and (iv) up to 1000-fold less energy requirements for switching functions compared to state-of-the-art ENODe systems.

Moreover, the use of biological components can overcome limitations of existing battery technology, by improving the ecological footprint and environmental sustainability, and by enhancing lifetime, reliability, and safety.

The system will be assembled as an array of interconnected vesicles to form a compartmental system to control ion gradients established by co-transport proteins incorporated in the interconnecting vesicle membranes. The system utilises the ion gradient to sustain a stable voltage output, and as a supercapacitor to store energy.

The stable voltage output and supercapacitor function are sustained from ion gradients and not catalytic electrochemical reactions.

Since the system will function both as a generator and an energy accumulator, we anticipate power management would require an integrated design, rather than a discrete design used for traditional source/supercapacitor systems.

The energy capabilities will be tested by packaging the system to provide power for an illustrative device that is either a typical nomadic device (e.g. smartphone), a typical implantable medical device (e.g. cardiac pacemaker), or a typical ambulatory device (e.g. drone).