Living Kombucha Electronics with Proteinoids

Author: mycolabadmin
5/20/2025
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Summary

Scientists created a new material by combining Kombucha cellulose with synthetic proteinoids (protein-like structures made from amino acids) to produce living electronics that can sense and process information. This hybrid material exhibits unusual electrical properties, including the ability to perform logic operations like computer circuits. The proportions of each component can be adjusted to customize the electrical behavior, opening possibilities for wearable technology and brain-inspired computing devices.

Background

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage with historical origins in Northeast China around 220 BC, known for its cellulosic mats produced through fermentation with SCOBY cultures. Proteinoids are synthetic polypeptides formed by heating amino acid mixtures, exhibiting lifelike qualities such as compartmentalization and selective permeability. The combination of these two materials offers potential for creating electroactive biofilms with sensing and computational capabilities.

Objective

This study aims to develop and characterize composite materials combining Kombucha cellulose mats with synthetic thermal proteinoids to create electroactive biofilms capable of sensing and computation. The researchers seek to demonstrate adjustable memristive and memfractance properties and explore applications in unconventional computing, bioinspired robotics, smart wearables, and bioelectronic systems.

Results

Current-voltage characterization revealed memfractance signatures in both pure proteinoid and Kombucha-proteinoid composite samples, with the composite showing higher mean conductivity (2.67 S/cm) compared to pure proteinoids (1.65 S/cm). Frequency-dependent conductivity showed dramatic increases up to 1000-fold in the 74-178 kHz range for composites. Boolean logic operations (AND, OR, XOR, XNOR, NAND, NOR gates) were successfully demonstrated, and compositional ratios significantly affected output signal amplitude and signal entropy.

Conclusion

Kombucha-proteinoid composites demonstrate remarkable synergistic electroactive properties combining biological and synthetic systems, enabling memristive behavior, tunable conductivity, and logic operations. These cross-kingdom biofilms represent a significant advancement in bioelectronic materials that bridge living and artificial systems. Future optimization of composition and nanostructure could enable practical applications in neuromorphic computing, smart wearables, and adaptive biorobotic systems.

Published in:ACS Omega,
Study Type:Experimental Research,
Source: PMID: 40488052