As computers, electric vehicles, and other advanced electronic devices become more powerful, they also produce more heat.
Too much heat can slow devices down, reduce their performance, shorten their lifespan, and even damage important components. Finding better ways to remove heat has become one of the biggest challenges in modern electronics.
Now, researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville have developed an unusual new solution: using bacteria to create high-performance cooling materials.
The new research introduces an environmentally friendly way to produce thermal interface materials, which are thin layers placed between electronic parts and cooling systems.
These materials fill tiny gaps that trap air, allowing heat to move more efficiently from hot electronic components to cooling devices such as heat sinks.
The study, published in Matter, found that the new bacteria-made material can transfer heat five to ten times better than many conventional thermal interface materials.
The project was led by Dr. Weinan Xu, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering. Instead of relying on energy-intensive manufacturing methods, Xu’s team uses bacteria to help build the material under much gentler conditions.
The process begins by feeding certain types of bacteria with sugar, which serves as their source of energy. The researchers also provide metal ions that act as building blocks for the final material.
As the bacteria grow, they naturally produce both organic and inorganic materials that combine into a highly effective heat-conducting structure.
One of the biggest advantages of this method is that everything happens at room temperature in water. Traditional manufacturing often requires extremely high temperatures, harsh chemicals, and large amounts of energy.
The bacteria-based process avoids many of these environmental drawbacks while producing a material with much better cooling performance.
Efficient cooling is becoming increasingly important because modern electronics continue to use more power.
High-performance computers, artificial intelligence systems, electric vehicle batteries, drones, and military equipment all generate significant amounts of heat during operation. Better cooling allows these systems to work faster, more reliably, and for longer periods without overheating.
The research has already attracted interest from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is supporting efforts to develop next-generation cooling materials for military electronics and energy storage systems. The agency is interested not only in improved performance but also in cleaner manufacturing methods.
Beyond cooling electronics, the researchers believe the technology could have many other uses. Similar bacteria-based manufacturing techniques may help recover valuable rare earth elements used in modern electronics and renewable energy technologies. The materials could also be adapted for biomedical applications because some of the structures created by bacteria are compatible with living tissues, making them useful for tissue engineering and medical research.
Although the results are promising, the technology is still being refined. At present, producing the material takes several days or even weeks. The research team is now working to reduce production costs and speed up the manufacturing process so it can be used on a much larger scale.
Xu’s group is also working with industry partners to explore commercial applications, including cooling systems for computers, electric vehicle batteries, drones, and other high-power electronic devices.
If the technology can be successfully scaled up, bacteria could one day help manufacture cleaner, cheaper, and more effective cooling materials that improve the performance and reliability of the next generation of electronics while reducing their environmental impact.
