Clams provide battery power apart from being rich in iron

For those of you who love your clams, perhaps it is time to see them in new light. Apart from being an extremely rich source of iron (although there is also the risk of obtaining a touch of food poisoning in the process if it is not properly cooked and prepared), it seems that work has been done to transform clams into an energy source. A battery of sorts, if you will, where enough power is generated to actually run an electric motor. This is somewhat akin to the idea of human being batteries for the machines in The Matrix trilogy.

US and Israeli researchers managed to place implants within a trio of living clams, hooking them up as a battery so that enough electricity is generated in order to turn an electric motor. Biofuel cells were implanted into the clams through the sticking in of electrodes into the clams’ main body cavities that are filled with blood, enabling the blood sugar to function as the energy source for the biofuel cells. The clams do get adequate rest between energy-harvesting periods in order for them to regenerate their blood sugar levels, so there is no need to form a picket line somewhere to protest against the inhumane treatment of clams.

Measurements were made during initial tests, and the three-clam batteries were capable of charging a capacitor with almost 29 millijoules across the time span of an hour, and while this is enough to turn an electrical motor about a quarter of a full turn, it is nowhere near in powering a 75-watt light bulb that consumes 75 joules (75,000 millijoules) per second. Having said that, using a clam-powered smartphone or computer is still a far flung dream, which is a good thing as well as things would smell fishy then.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets
Tags: Battery