Scientists have successfully altered a class of proteins to enable them to conduct and store electricity. These engineered proteins are stable, easy-to-process, sustainable, and biocompatible conductive materials suitable for industrial use.
Modular LEGO Proteins
The research, led by Aitziber L. Cortajarena, Calvo, and Morant published a paper in Advanced Materials as part of the e-PROT project.
The study used lab-designed proteins made of small, sequentially assembled units, like LEGO blocks. Each “block” shares the same basic structure, and when combined, they form a larger, ordered, stable, and modular framework. This modularity allows scientists to add specific functions without altering the overall structure, enabling the creation of tailor-made proteins.
In this work, the researchers aimed to make the protein efficiently conduct electricity. To do so, they genetically modified the DNA encoding the protein’s structure and function.
The next Generation of Energy Storage Technologies
The protein modifications enhanced ion movement within the material, enabling the proteins to power a high-performance energy storage device that charges and discharges rapidly.
Looking ahead, these protein-based conductive materials could replace conventional battery and supercapacitor components, making them far safer for the human body. They are especially promising for bioelectronic applications, including pacemakers, implantable glucose sensors, and brain electrodes used to treat conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
This study paves the way for a new generation of energy storage devices built from sustainable, safe, and inherently biocompatible materials.
It’s increasingly easy to envision a future where we store energy sustainably, powering phones, fitness trackers, and other portable devices with biodegradable, eco-friendly, and safe materials. Scientific advances are bringing that vision closer to reality.
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