Have you ever forgotten your lunch and found yourself surrounded only by electrical outlets? Well, in the not too distant future, this may no longer be a problem. Thanks to electrobiology, scientists are paving the way for a world in which cells could get their energy directly from electric current.
Get ready for a journey into the future where biology meets electricity, and your body could become the ultimate rechargeable gadget. No, seriously: before you trash the article because of its provocative incipit, look at what they're studying.
When biology meets electricity: an unexpected love story
Imagine you are a cell. Your life revolves around to ATP, adenosine triphosphate, the fundamental molecule for cellular reactions, the main form of energy storage immediately available for living organisms. Practically, the energy currency of the microscopic world, we pay for everything we do with it.
Until now, to get it, you have had to rely on food: complex metabolic processes, sugars, and a lot of work. Today, metaphorically speaking, scientists have made a tempting proposal to cells: "how about filling up directly from the socket?"
This, in a nutshell, is what electrobiology is trying to achieve. And no, we're not talking about sticking a USB charger in your ear (yet).
The AAA cycle: It's not just for remote control batteries
At the center of this research (that I link to you here) there's what scientists have dubbed, with a touch of nerd humor, the AAA (ATP acid/aldehyde) cycle. It is not the acronym for alkaline batteries, but for an ingenious system of 3-4 enzymes that do an extraordinary job: transform electricity directly into ATP.
The process occurs at -0,6 V compared to a standard hydrogen electrode (SHE), and is compatible with biological transcription/translation processes such as the synthesis of RNA and proteins from DNA.
Extract from the study.
In other words, these cells are learning to speak the language of electricity, and they are translating it into biology pure. It's as if we were teaching a smartphone to produce proteins instead of notifications.
Electrobiology: no membranes, no problems
One of the most interesting aspects of this system is that it does not depend on cell membranes. For those who aren't biologist, this is a bit like saying that you don't need an entire house to cook, just a portable stove. It makes everything a lot easier, especially when it comes to in vitro synthetic biology.
Think of the possibilities: laboratories that produce drugs that run directly from the electricity grid, or DNA computers that run on batteries. It's like we're giving life itself a firmware update (hoping it doesn't crash like the 8,5 million computers in these days).
Pass me the Powerbank
Now, before you start dreaming of charging like your smartphone, let's take a step back. We are still far from being able to “plug in” humans, but the implications of electrobiology are still mind-blowing.
Imagine biocomputers powered directly from the electricity grid. Artificial organs that do not need blood flow to function. Microscopic drug factories that produce medicine on demand, powered by a simple battery.
It's a huge conceptual leap. We're talking about bypassing billions of years of evolution and telling life, "here, try this new energy source." Like we sat a caveman in a Tesla. What could go wrong?
Electrobiology, a taste of the future
As scientists continue to explore the possibilities of electrobiology, I will fantasize about a future where the phrase “I feel exhausted” takes on a whole new meaning.
In the meantime, however, I stick to the good old traditional lunch. After all, a pizza is even more appetizing than a charger. At least in Naples, forgive the cliché.
