title: An electric generator using living Torpedo electric organs controlled by fluid pressure-based alternative nervous systems.
abstract: Direct electric power generation using biological functions have become a research focus due to their low cost and cleanliness. Unlike major approaches using glucose fuels or microbial fuel cells (MFCs), we present a generation method with intrinsically high energy conversion efficiency and generation with arbitrary timing using living electric organs of Torpedo (electric rays) which are serially integrated electrocytes converting ATP into electric energy. We developed alternative nervous systems using fluid pressure to stimulate electrocytes by a neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (Ach), and demonstrated electric generation. Maximum voltage and current were 1.5 V and 0.64 mA, respectively, with a duration time of a few seconds. We also demonstrated energy accumulation in a capacitor. The current was far larger than that using general cells other than electrocytes (~pA level). The generation ability was confirmed against repetitive cycles and also after preservation for 1 day. This is the first step toward ATP-based energy harvesting devices.
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), RIKEN, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Yo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), RIKEN, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Shun-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Funano
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), RIKEN, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.|Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, Tokyo Denki University, 5 Senju-asahi-cho, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 120-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, Tokyo Denki University, 5 Senju-asahi-cho, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 120-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamamichi
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishinaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitamori
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D004557:Electric Organ / Q000502:physiology*; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D014101:Torpedo / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000109:Acetylcholine