Team Creates Fuel Cell Implantable in Cockroaches

Cockroach cyborgs could someday be used as miniature spies or even first responders to disaster zones.

Listen: We all hate cockroaches. They're hideous bugs signifying decay and slovenly lifestyles, and that they'll probably survive a nuclear holocaust has always left our species more than a little jealous. But thanks to the work of researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, they can also be used as a source of energy. To do that, the team created a tiny biofuel cell that they implanted in the abdomen of a female cockroach that uses two enzymes to convert the insects' natural chemistry into energy. One enzyme breaks down sugar found in food eaten by the cockroaches into simpler sugars called monosaccharides. The second enzyme then oxidizes those monosaccharides so that they release electrons. Best of all (or worst of all, depending on your position on cockroaches), the implant was taken out with no long-term damage to the insects. The current produced isn't all that powerful, but the researchers hope with further refinements, the fuel cells could generate enough power to run sensors and small monitoring equipment. And if that works, the team's leader, Daniel Scherson, says cockroaches could be outfitted with sensors, sent into rooms filled with noxious gas (or nuclear radiation or what have you), take a reading, come back to safety, and do it all over again.