Scientists Develop Spit-Powered Batteries, That’s Not A Typo

Since the dawn of the electric age, humans have used numerous substances and resources to power their homes, buildings, factories, and vehicles. From the super popular oil to corn, methane, hydrogen, and of course, lithium-ion. However, few could have predicted that scientists will eventually create a battery technology that is powered by saliva. One good loogey is equivalent to 20 minutes of power.

Putting aside the rather disgusting picture this pronouncement paints, the technology was developed by Binghamton University, Futurism reports. The battery is paper-based and is specifically powered by bacteria.

For some context on what it can do, even a small amount of spit is enough to provide LED lights with 20 minutes of power. Naturally, there are plenty of other potential implications for such a technology, though, it’s also worth pointing out that the main source of power behind the battery won’t be a collection of saliva. Then again, it does open up quite a few possibilities.

In the paper published on Advanced Materials Technologies, the researchers noted how such an option could be used for testing medical conditions or using tools in the field. Some examples could include HIV test kits or Glucose monitors.

“Portable, on-demand micropower generation is provided by developing paper-based biobatteries that can deliver on-chip energy to the next generation of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic platforms. This work creates a low-cost, disposable, long shelf life and eco-friendly micropower source that can be easily integrated in paper-based POC devices and be readily activated by one drop of saliva, which is readily available in any challenging area,” the paper’s Abstract reads.

In addition to its rather convenient, if gross source of power, the batteries can also be manufactured for cheap. This covers the matter of costs, which would not only make the technology more widely available, it would also help remove many of the obstacles to adoption.