MFC Commercialisation through continued Research, Networking and Collaboration (MFCC-RNC)

c770ca92-c423-4c2f-b55e-ae45d12c2820

Closed

EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC

£1,235,540

June 30, 2013

June 30, 2015

One cost-effective way of maximising the utility of the microbial fuel cell technology in scaling-up, is to invest in raw materials that inherently possess multi-functionality but also produce composites (through heating and impregnation) that introduce multiple functionalities to different 'passive' substrata. The material multi-functionality will exploit the team's new findings regarding internal resistance governance, and several key properties have been identified, which will require further investigation. These primarily focus (amongst many other things) on cost of raw materials & production; efficacy in a broad range of environmental /operating conditions; optimal structural porosity characteristics for moisture control and concomitant ion conductivity; modularity of stack design for plug & play systems. These explorations can only benefit the society if implemented in practical applications, which can demonstrate their value to the public; e.g. the EcoBot platform, urine utilisation and intelligent toilets, as well as MFC domestic battery chargers. Such multidisciplinary work can progress at an accelerated pace if appropriate collaboration with world leaders is established, which is at the core of this programme of work. The Fellowship pioneering work on MFC-powered robots and devices paved the way to scale-up, by introducing the 'miniaturisation & multiplication' approach - an area that the UK maintains the lead. This forms the basis for the new direction research in materials and manufacturing. It is an area, which has so far received very little attention, yet it is directly on the critical path towards realising impact, which can be achieved through the commercialisation of the more mature aspects of the work. It is therefore both timely and at the forefront of the MFC research, thereby strengthening the UK lead in this pioneering area.

Potential Impact:
The proposed work is stemming from the Career Acceleration Fellowship work, which has already demonstrated high impact and reached policy makers at Government level. The inclusion of the EcoBot work in David Willetts's "Eight Great Technologies" book from Policy Exchange (UK's leading think tank), is testament to this effect as is the mentioning of the fly-eating robot by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his recent address to the Royal Society. The New Directions programme is proposing to take this highly recognised work and bring it to the public domain through practical implementation (translation) and commercialisation that will directly benefit the UK plc and assist in meeting its 2050 targets. Fundamental research in pioneering areas (natural nut shell-made MFCs, biodegradable materials and impregnated ceramics) will continue as well as a strand in more blue sky research (biosensing, unconventional computation), which will be disseminated through high-end Journal publications. As science evolves, prestigious publishers are introducing open-access publication options, which will be exploited where possible. Furthermore and to reach general audiences beyond commercial end users and academia, public engagement activities will continue to be pursued as part of the main dissemination strategy.

A kind note to the Reviewers: The Case for Support has been written to include a great level of scientific evidence for the future opportunities and it is hoped that through the description of the work it becomes clear that the value of the proposed New Directions programme *as a whole* is greater than the sum of the individual parts. There is a clear thread running through all work packages, and it is with this collective and consolidated effort, that maximum impact can be achieved.