Development of a bio-digital interface powered by microbial fuel cells
Development of a bio-digital interface powered by microbial fuel cells
This paper reports the first relatable bio-digital interface powered by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that was developed to inform the public and introduce the concept of using live microbes as waste processors within our homes and cities. An innovative design for the MFC and peripherals system was built as a digital data generator and bioreactor, with a custom-built energy-harvesting controller that was connected to the system to enable efficient system operation using adaptive dynamic cell reconfiguration and transmit data for the bio-digital interface. This system has accomplished multiple (parallel) tasks such as electricity generation, wastewater treatment and autonomous operation. Moreover, the controller demonstrated that microbial behaviour and consequent system operation can benefit from smart algorithms. In addition to these technical achievements, the bio-digital interface is a site for the production of digital art that aims to gain acceptance from a wider-interest community and potential audiences by showcasing the capabilities of living microorganisms in the context of green technologies.
Adaptive dynamic cell reconfiguration, Bio-digital interface, Microbial fuel cell, Sustainable built environment
You, Jiseon
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Mendis, Arjuna
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Greenman, John
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Freeman, Julie
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Wolff, Stephen
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Armstrong, Rachel
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Hughes, Rolf
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Ieropoulos, Ioannis A.
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
1 February 2022
You, Jiseon
1442df08-0ea4-4134-b6be-6b773b05f58d
Mendis, Arjuna
2ef1bea2-1e3f-4d35-877f-117b99226feb
Greenman, John
eb3d9b82-7cac-4442-9301-f34884ae4a16
Freeman, Julie
c133f08f-b520-47dc-9fab-721bf6d2072f
Wolff, Stephen
93a65e99-70ce-40aa-9ebe-265d90e1f969
Armstrong, Rachel
3a175396-23b7-410e-9115-500a112405a0
Hughes, Rolf
3c461c55-0f44-468e-8f45-c040edd4ebbb
Ieropoulos, Ioannis A.
6c580270-3e08-430a-9f49-7fbe869daf13
You, Jiseon, Mendis, Arjuna, Greenman, John, Freeman, Julie, Wolff, Stephen, Armstrong, Rachel, Hughes, Rolf and Ieropoulos, Ioannis A.
(2022)
Development of a bio-digital interface powered by microbial fuel cells.
Sustainability (Switzerland), 14 (3), [1735].
(doi:10.3390/su14031735).
Abstract
This paper reports the first relatable bio-digital interface powered by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that was developed to inform the public and introduce the concept of using live microbes as waste processors within our homes and cities. An innovative design for the MFC and peripherals system was built as a digital data generator and bioreactor, with a custom-built energy-harvesting controller that was connected to the system to enable efficient system operation using adaptive dynamic cell reconfiguration and transmit data for the bio-digital interface. This system has accomplished multiple (parallel) tasks such as electricity generation, wastewater treatment and autonomous operation. Moreover, the controller demonstrated that microbial behaviour and consequent system operation can benefit from smart algorithms. In addition to these technical achievements, the bio-digital interface is a site for the production of digital art that aims to gain acceptance from a wider-interest community and potential audiences by showcasing the capabilities of living microorganisms in the context of green technologies.
Text
sustainability-14-01735-v2
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 8 January 2022
Published date: 1 February 2022
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Keywords:
Adaptive dynamic cell reconfiguration, Bio-digital interface, Microbial fuel cell, Sustainable built environment
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 503088
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/503088
ISSN: 2071-1050
PURE UUID: d78c2f8c-6b16-4b88-a38e-cf3a2d56d250
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Date deposited: 21 Jul 2025 16:47
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:34
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Contributors
Author:
Jiseon You
Author:
Arjuna Mendis
Author:
John Greenman
Author:
Julie Freeman
Author:
Stephen Wolff
Author:
Rachel Armstrong
Author:
Rolf Hughes
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