ENGINEERING LIVING MATERIALS FOR EPS-DRIVEN YEAST BIOBATTERIES

Rita de Magalhães Policia; Frank N. Crespilho

Todos os Trabalhos

Trabalho

Título do Trabalho

ENGINEERING LIVING MATERIALS FOR EPS-DRIVEN YEAST BIOBATTERIES

Autores

Rita de Magalhães Policia
Frank N. Crespilho

Modalidade

Pôster - resumo

Área temática

Dispositivos eletrônicos, eletroquímicos, supercapacitores e baterias

Data de Publicação

27/05/2026

País da Publicação

Brasil

Idioma da Publicação

pt-BR

Página do Trabalho

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/workshop-do-ineo-2026/1456817-engineering-living-materials-for-eps-driven-yeast-biobatteries

ISBN

978-65-272-2467-9

Palavras-Chave

Biobatteries, Extracellular polymeric substances, Bioelectrochemistry, Sustainable energy storage, Engineered living materials

Resumo

Engineering living materials offers a route to integrating biological components as active electrochemical elements within electrochemical and bioelectronic systems. These materials emerge as promising solutions for more sustainable energy storage and energy conversion applications, such as biobatteries, by exploiting biologically mediated redox processes under mild conditions. Among bio-derived materials, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae combine redox activity, ionic conductivity, and stable interfacial film formation, enabling efficient extracellular electron transfer at neutral pH [1]. Despite their widespread presence in biological systems, the electrochemical potential of EPS remains relatively underexplored for energy-related applications. Here, we present a progressive design framework for EPS-based biobatteries. First, a yeast biobattery was demonstrated by coupling EPS with a ferricyanide cathode in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4) electrolyte, delivering stable voltages of ~350 mV for up to 12 h [2]. This initial configuration established EPS as an active electrochemical component capable of sustaining continuous power generation within a redox battery architecture. Following proof-of-concept validation, the system was subsequently redesigned as an all-silk wearable biobattery, comprising ~95% biodegradable materials and improved mechanical robustness, reaching discharge voltages above 1.1 V when three modules were connected in series [3]. The use of silk-based substrates enabled a closed and flexible architecture, improving device containment and operational stability while preserving the underlying EPS-driven electrochemical mechanism. Finally, coupling EPS with a copper anode under neutral aqueous conditions enabled active modulation of copper redox chemistry, lowering anodic onset potentials, delaying passivation, and enhancing electrochemical performance. In this configuration, EPS acts at the electrode–electrolyte interface, stabilizing redox intermediates and promoting partially reversible behavior in aqueous media. The resulting Cu–EPS biobattery achieved higher open-circuit voltages (~470 mV), increased power density, extended discharge times, and stable cycling behavior, exhibiting secondary-battery characteristics within a largely biodegradable platform. This work establishes EPS as a central electrochemical design element within the engineering living materials paradigm, enabling successive advances in performance, integration, and sustainability, and opening pathways for low-power energy storage applications such as wearable electronics and sensors. Acknowledgments: The authors thank the Instituto Nacional de Eletrônica Orgânica (INEO) and the funding agencies FAPESP (process nº 2025/27044-5) and CNPq (process nº 408449/2024-1) for financial support. References 1. Sedenho, G. C.; Modenez, I.; Mendes, G. R.; Crespilho, F. N. The role of extracellular polymeric substance matrix on Saccharomyces cerevisiae bioelectricity. Electrochimica Acta 2021, 393, 139080. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139080. 2. Crespilho, F. N.; Brito-Pereira, R.; Policia, R.; Pereira, N.; Sedenho, G. C.; Costa, C. M.; Lanceros-Méndez, S. Yeast bio-batteries. Sustainable Energy & Fuels 2024, 8 (22), 5165-5169, 10.1039/D4SE00903G. DOI: 10.1039/D4SE00903G. 3. Policia, R.; Brito-Pereira, R.; Costa, C. M.; Lanceros-Méndez, S.; Crespilho, F. N. Sustainable Power Generation with an All-Silk Electronics-Based Yeast Wearable Biobattery. ACS Omega 2025, 10 (12), 12522-12529. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c00131.

Título do Evento: Workshop do INEO 2026
Cidade do Evento: Nazaré Paulista
Título dos Anais do Evento: Anais do Workshop do INEO 2026
Nome da Editora: Even3
Meio de Divulgação: Meio Digital

Como citar

POLICIA, Rita de Magalhães; CRESPILHO, Frank N.. ENGINEERING LIVING MATERIALS FOR EPS-DRIVEN YEAST BIOBATTERIES.. In: Anais do Workshop do INEO 2026. Anais...Nazaré Paulista(SP) Hotel Estância Atibainha, 2026. Disponível em: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/workshop-do-ineo-2026/1456817-ENGINEERING-LIVING-MATERIALS-FOR-EPS-DRIVEN-YEAST-BIOBATTERIES. Acesso em: 10/08/2026