Glucose Biofuel Cell Tested, Could Power Devices From the Body's Chemistry
Electricity from Glucose Joseph Fourier University, National Center for Scientific Research Glucose powers the cells in our bodies, and it may soon power the implantable devices we place in there as well. French researchers have implanted the first functioning glucose biofuel cell in living animals, generating electrical power from the glucose that exists naturally in the body. The concept of powering medical devices with the body's own cellular fuel isn't new, but previous attempts to create a biofuel cell have failed, primarily because the enzymes needed to harvest energy from glucose require more acidic conditions than the body provides. So scientists at Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble decided that if the body wouldn't accommodate the enzymes, they would create an environment that would. The team put the enzymes inside graphite discs that provide the proper acidity, then placed those discs in dialysis bags to insulate them from outside conditions. Glucose...