Electric Molluscs

Snails with implanted electrodes generate electricity via metabolism.

| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

ALEKSANDAR COCEK, FLICKR

Researchers at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, have implanted snails with tiny biofuel cells that capture electrical power from the snail’s blood. The electrified snail munches on carrots while the device extracts power from glucose and oxygen in the snail’s blood, producing a steady trickle of electricity for months.

“The animals are quite fit — they eat, drink, and crawl. We take care to keep them alive and happy,” senior author Evgeny Katz told Nature. The research was published last week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

In addition to snails, researchers have created cyborg cockroaches, beetles, and rats. While these creepy crawlies aren’t likely to power a light bulb anytime soon, they might be able to power sensors or radio antennae ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Keywords

Meet the Author

  • Megan Scudellari

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
Discover a serum-free way to produce dendritic cells and macrophages for cell therapy applications.

Optimizing In Vitro Production of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells and Macrophages

Thermo Fisher Logo
Collage-style urban graphic of wastewater surveillance and treatment

Putting Pathogens to the Test with Wastewater Surveillance

An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with Lipid Nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo