Scientists Build Dissolving Batteries From Gut Bacteria

Researchers have created the world’s first dissolvable battery powered by the same probiotics found in yogurt and health supplements.

The device, built on water-soluble paper, generates electricity for over 100 minutes before harmlessly dissolving into the environment. This development solves a critical challenge in transient electronics—creating power sources that disappear without leaving toxic residues behind. The innovation could enable new medical implants that monitor health conditions and then safely dissolve in the body, eliminating the need for surgical removal.

The research, published in the journal Small, demonstrates how 15 commercially available probiotic strains can generate electricity while maintaining complete biosafety—a significant advancement over previous bacterial batteries that required careful disposal to prevent environmental contamination.

Beyond Mission Impossible Fantasy

The concept of self-destructing electronics has long captured imaginations, from spy films to science fiction. But creating real-world transient electronics faces a fundamental obstacle: the power source.

“Transient electronics can be used for biomedical and environmental applications, but they must disintegrate in a biosafe manner,” said Seokheun “Sean” Choi, professor at Binghamton University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “You don’t want to have toxic residues inside your body. That type of device is called bioresorbable electronics. For transient or bioresorbable electronics, the key challenge is the power source — but most power sources, like lithium-ion batteries, include toxic material.”

Traditional bacterial fuel cells have shown promise but carry safety concerns. Even bacteria classified as biosafety level 1 raise questions about environmental release and potential ecological disruption.

The Probiotic Solution

Choi’s team turned to an unexpected source: the same beneficial bacteria people consume daily in supplements and fermented foods. The 15-strain probiotic blend includes familiar names like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium species—microorganisms with well-established safety profiles and documented health benefits.

“It’s well documented that probiotics are safe and biocompatible, but we were not sure if those probiotics have electricity-producing capability,” Choi explained. “There was a question, so she did a lot of experiments on that.”

The initial results proved disappointing. Probiotics, being Gram-positive bacteria with thick cell walls, showed limited ability to transfer electrons—the fundamental process needed for electricity generation. Most bacterial fuel cells rely on Gram-negative species specifically evolved for efficient electron transfer.

Engineering Enhancement

Rather than abandon the concept, PhD student Maryam Rezaie engineered a solution. The team developed a specialized electrode using polypyrrole (PPy) conjugated with zinc dioxide nanoparticles—creating a porous, rough surface that dramatically improved bacterial performance.

“We didn’t give up. We engineered in an electrode surface that might be preferable to the bacteria, using polymer and some nanoparticles to hypothetically improve the electrocatalytic behavior of probiotics and give them a boost,” Choi noted.

Cyclic voltammetry measurements revealed distinct redox peaks when probiotics contacted the modified electrode—clear evidence of electron transfer capability. The enhanced surface provided optimal conditions for bacterial attachment and growth, significantly improving their electricity-generating potential.

Controlled Dissolution Technology

The team’s most innovative advancement involves precise control over device activation and lifespan. By encapsulating the water-soluble paper substrate with EUDRAGIT EPO—a pH-sensitive polymer—they created batteries that activate only under specific acidic conditions.

This targeted approach offers remarkable versatility. In neutral environments, the device remains stable and inactive. But in acidic conditions—such as polluted areas, the human stomach, or contaminated soil—the protective coating dissolves, exposing the paper substrate and activating the probiotics.

The pH-responsive design solved multiple engineering challenges. It prevents premature dissolution during manufacturing when liquid electrode materials are applied, enables precise timing of activation, and allows fine-tuning of operational duration from 4 minutes to over 100 minutes.

Technical Performance and Innovation

The optimized device generates 4 microwatts of power with 47 microamps of current and an open-circuit voltage of 0.65 volts. While modest by conventional battery standards, this output suffices for low-power sensors, temporary medical monitors, and environmental detection systems.

The research revealed fascinating insights into probiotic electrochemistry. Among the 15 strains, Lactobacillus species appeared primarily responsible for electricity generation, while other strains likely enhanced the process by producing redox-active cofactors like NADH and flavins. This synergistic community approach proved more effective than isolated bacterial strains.

Scanning electron microscopy confirmed dense bacterial attachment to the modified electrode surface, providing direct evidence for the enhanced electron transfer mechanism. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further demonstrated reduced charge-transfer resistance, validating the superior performance of the probiotic-electrode interface.

Addressing the Irreversibility Challenge

A crucial discovery emerged from detailed electrochemical analysis: the probiotic redox reactions showed largely irreversible behavior, with pronounced reduction peaks but weaker oxidation peaks. This suggests the bacteria favor reduced states or rapidly consume reduced species before re-oxidation can occur—a finding with important implications for optimizing future designs.

The research also revealed that peak potential shifts with increasing scan rates, confirming the non-reversible nature of bacterial electron transfer processes. This fundamental understanding enables more sophisticated electrode engineering and bacterial community optimization.

Real-World Applications

The implications extend far beyond laboratory demonstrations. Temporary medical implants could monitor post-surgical healing, track drug delivery, or assess infection markers before dissolving harmlessly. Environmental sensors could detect pollution in remote locations without requiring retrieval. Security applications could enable truly disposable monitoring devices.

The horizontal interdigitated electrode configuration demonstrated in the study offers exceptional scalability. By adjusting electrode length or incorporating multiple units in series or parallel arrangements, power output can be customized for specific applications.

Perhaps most significantly, the complete device dissolution leaves only beneficial microorganisms—probiotics that may actually improve local microbiomes rather than contaminating them.

Looking Forward

Choi acknowledges this represents early-stage proof of concept, with significant research ahead. “Other research must be done,” he said. “We used probiotic blends, but I want to study individually which ones have the extra electric genes, and how synergistic interactions can improve the power generation. Also, in this research we developed in a single unit of a biobattery. I want to contact them in series or parallel to improve the power.”

Future work will focus on identifying specific probiotic strains with optimal electrochemical properties, understanding community interactions that enhance power generation, and developing multi-unit systems for practical applications. Testing in simulated physiological environments and animal models will be essential for biomedical applications.

As transient electronics evolve from science fiction to clinical reality, probiotic-powered batteries offer a uniquely biocompatible solution to one of the field’s most persistent challenges—proving that sometimes the most advanced technologies draw inspiration from the microscopic communities already living inside us.