{
  "id": 1694136,
  "title": "This battery is powered by algae",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/this-battery-is-powered-by-algae",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91589823/this-battery-is-powered-by-algae"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At an island off North Carolina, Lucia Giron observed glowing algae in water pools during a tropical storm. This memory sparked a fascination with how design interacted with biology, inspiring her recent project of an algae-powered battery. The battery, compact enough to fit in a hand, holds algae placed in a transparent acrylic chamber encased within a metal frame. It allows light for photosynthesis and lets users see the process, and is strong enough to power a clock and temperature sensor. The technology was initially developed by Cambridge researchers Dr. Paolo Bombelli and Professor Chris Howe as a biophotovoltaic system to extract energy from photosynthesis. Giron and electrical engineer Lifu Tan joined the project to make the technology a consumer product. The battery captures excess electrons from the algae's photosynthesis and does not deplete the organism, allowing it to continue thriving. The challenge lies in creating an environment for the organism to survive and thrive while harvesting energy, balancing sunlight exposure, and finding materials that prevent evaporation. The aesthetics of the battery are also important, with a leaf-patterned metal frame to emphasize its biological elements. The battery has proven successful, working for over five years, and the team is working on increasing its voltage output, current, and power density to power larger electronics. The potential of this technology is vast, with the possibility of replacing millions of small disposable batteries with a cleaner energy source, benefiting the environment.",
  "summary": "When bio-designer Lucia Giron was on family vacation at an island off the coast of North Carolina, a tropical storm flooded the shore, leaving behind small pools of water in the sand. “I remember going to the sea at night and when we stepped in the little puddles they glowed beneath us, and then as the waves were coming in, there was also this sort of glow,” Giron says. “That always stuck with me…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}