Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York (SUNY), have developed a groundbreaking wearable microbial fuel cell technology designed to reduce the risk of infection in wounds. This innovative “living dressing” incorporates Bacillus subtilis, a spore-forming bacterium commonly found in the traditional Japanese fermented soybean dish, natto. By integrating this beneficial microbe into a wearable microbial fuel cell, the dressing not only generates electricity to stimulate wound healing but also produces antibacterial agents to combat infections.
The dressing harnesses the power of the wound’s own exudate—a nutrient-rich fluid produced by wounds—to fuel the microbial cell. This dual-action approach addresses two major challenges in wound care: the growing concern of antibiotic resistance and the difficulty in eradicating biofilms, which are colonies of bacteria that are highly resistant to traditional treatments. Unlike topical antibiotics, which can disrupt the balance of beneficial microbes on the skin, this new dressing maintains a healthy skin microbiome while effectively combating harmful pathogens.
Built on a microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) platform, the dressing uses Bacillus subtilis endospores as biocatalysts. When these endospores come into contact with the wound exudate, they produce electricity. This electricity serves two crucial purposes: it aids in the production of antibacterial compounds by the bacteria and directly disrupts the cell membranes of harmful bacteria, promoting faster wound healing. According to the researchers, the electrical current “breaks down the cell integrity of the infecting microbes and stimulates healing.”
Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi, who led the research, highlighted the importance of beneficial skin bacteria in the healing process. “We have very beneficial skin bacteria that facilitate systematic immune defense. When you have a wound, these skin bacteria help with healing,” Choi explained. To enhance the dressing’s effectiveness, the researchers incorporated copper oxide and tin oxide nanoparticles into the spore-carrying bacteria, boosting both power generation and antibacterial properties.
Choi acknowledged the challenges that wounds present, noting that “this environment is perfect for pathogen invasion because it’s nutrient-rich, moist, and warm. When biofilms form, it’s really hard to eradicate those pathogens, and the wound-healing process can be extended, sometimes for a year or longer.” While the exact mechanisms of how electrical stimulation accelerates wound healing remain unclear, Choi suggested that the stimulation may damage bacterial cell membranes. Future research will focus on optimizing the electrical stimulation’s duration and frequency to maximize healing efficacy.
Two Ph.D. students, Maryam Rezaie and Zahra Rafiee, collaborated on the research, contributing to the design and testing of the dressing. The dressing’s framework features a conductive hydrogel embedded within a paper-based substrate, which ensures cell stability and maintains a moist environment conducive to healing. In laboratory tests, the dressing has shown remarkable effectiveness against three major wound pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus.
The dressing also supports long-term storage, as the Bacillus subtilis endospores remain dormant until activated by the wound environment. Constructed using biodegradable “papertronics,” the dressing is both sustainable and environmentally friendly. Unlike traditional dressings that rely on finite reservoirs of antibacterial agents, this self-powered dressing offers unlimited antibacterial production, as long as the wound exudate continues to provide nutrients.
While the dressing has shown promising results in tests on simulated human skin and pig skin, further research is required before human trials can begin. The next steps will involve fine-tuning the electrical stimulation parameters to enhance healing effectiveness and further validate the dressing’s potential for widespread clinical use.
By Impact Lab
