Electronic Microsystems that are self-sufficient, intelligent, and autonomous have been created. They operate much like self-autonomous living organisms.

An electronic microsystem has been created by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that can respond intelligently to information inputs without any external energy input. It is similar to a self-governing living organism. The new electronics used to create the microsystem can process external electronic signals. It also includes a device that can produce electricity from thin air from the surrounding environment.

Jun Yao is an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) assistant professor and a biomedical and industrial engineering adjunct professor. He collaborated with Derek R. Lovley, a Distinguished Professor of microbiology.

The microsystem’s microsystem’s core components are made of protein nanowires. This “green” electronic material can be produced from microbes and does not produce “e-waste.”

According to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory funding the research, this breakthrough project creates a “self-sustaining, intelligent microsystem.”

Tianda Fu is a graduate student in Yao’s group and the lead author. It’s an exciting beginning to explore the possibility of electronic devices incorporating “living” features. Fu stated that he is looking forward to more advanced versions.

This project is a continuation of the team’s recent research. Previously, the research team discovered that electricity could be generated from the ambient environment/humidity with a protein-nanowire-based Air Generator (or ‘Air-Gen’). This device continuously produces electricity in almost all environments found on Earth. In 2020, the Air-Gen invention was published in Nature.

In 2020, Yao’s lab also reported in Nature Communications how protein nanowires could be used to build electronic devices called memristors. These devices can emulate brain computation and work with low electrical signals close to the biological signal amplitudes.

Yao stated the creation was complete when they “put the two together.” “We create microsystems in the electricity from AirGen is used for driving sensors and circuits made from protein-nanowire memristors. The electronic microsystem can now get energy from the environment for sensing and computing without needing an external energy source (e.g., a battery). It is autonomous and intelligent with total power, much like a living organism.

It is also made of biomaterial, protein nanowires from bacteria. Yao and Lovley created the Air-Gen using the microbe Geobacter. Lovley discovered it many years ago. It was used to generate electricity from humidity and later make memristors capable of mimicking human intelligence.

Yao says, “So, from both functionality and material, we are making an electronic device more bio-alike” or “living-like.”

Albena Ivanisevic (biologics program manager, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory) said that the work demonstrated that creating an autonomous, intelligent microsystem is possible. The UMass team has demonstrated artificial neurons for computation. Notably, protein nanowire memristors are stable in an aqueous environment and can be further functionalized. Functionalization will increase their stability and allow them to be used in novel communication modalities and sensor applications that are important to the Army.