Can biobatteries replace conventional energy sources by 2050 in a sustainable world?

Authors

  • Wilgince Apollon Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3790-3807
  • Alejandro Isabel Luna-Maldonado Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León
  • Víctor Arturo Maldonado-Ruelas Universidad Politécnica de Aguascalientes
  • Raúl Arturo Ortiz-Medina Universidad Politécnica de Aguascalientes
  • Marco Antonio Vázquez-Guitiérrez TecNM-Instituto Tecnológico El Llano Aguascalientes (ITEL)
  • Sathish Kumar Kamaraj Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59741/agraria.v23i1.706

Keywords:

biobatteries, microbial fuel cells, wastewater treatment, energy sustainability, environmental remediation

Abstract

Today, the energy transition requires renewable technologies that generate electricity while minimizing environmental impact. Bio-batteries, such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), are promising because they produce energy while treating wastewater and removing contaminants. This article explores how MFCs operate, as well as recent advances in materials and microbiology, and their applications in water treatment, soil, and sediment cleanup. It also examines the challenges that hinder their performance and the realistic role they could play by 2050. The conclusion is that, rather than completely replacing traditional energy sources, MFCs will serve as a valuable supplement in specific areas such as decentralized treatment facilities, industries that generate organic waste, sensors, and in situ bioremediation. MFCs provide tangible benefits for both the environment and clean energy production. Would you like to know how?

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Author Biographies

  • Wilgince Apollon, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)

    El Dr. Wilgince Apollon es profesor visitante y becario postdoctoral en el CICATA, Altamira del
    Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN). Obtuvo su título de Ingeniero Agrónomo en la Universidad
    Autónoma de Santo Domingo (2016). También cuenta con una Maestría en Ciencias en
    Biotecnología Agropecuaria (2019) del TecNM Campus El Llano, Aguascalientes, y un Doctorado
    en Ciencias Agrícolas por la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) en 2023. Su
    investigación se centra en sistemas bioelectroquímicos, especialmente celdas de combustible
    microbianas, para impulsar las energías renovables, la agricultura sostenible y la innovación
    ambiental. Ha realizado diversas estancias de investigación nacionales e internacionales y ha
    publicado más de 20 artículos en revistas indexadas en el JCR y 7 capítulos de libros. En 2024, el
    Dr. Apollon recibió el Premio de Investigación de la UANL por su trabajo en el desarrollo de
    tecnologías agrícolas más limpias y sostenibles, así como también el Young Scientist Award por
    ScienceFather, India.

  • Alejandro Isabel Luna-Maldonado, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

    El Dr. Alejandro Isabel Luna Maldonado es Profesor Titular C en la Facultad de Agronomía de la
    Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), donde labora desde 1992. Es Ingeniero Agrónomo
    por la UANL, Maestro en Ciencias por la Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro y Doctor
    en Ciencias Agrícolas por la Universidad de Kyushu, Japón. Su especialidad es el desarrollo de
    tecnología y automatización aplicadas a la agricultura y la industria alimentaria. Ha realizado
    estancias internacionales y formado numerosos recursos humanos en licenciatura, maestría y
    doctorado. Es autor de 63 artículos arbitrados, cinco libros y 14 capítulos, y miembro del Sistema
    Nacional de Investigadores Nivel II (2025–2029). Coordina el Cuerpo Académico “Medio
    Ambiente y Sustentabilidad” (PRODEP, 2004–2025). Ha recibido premios como el de
    Investigación UANL (2024) y Best Researcher Award (2023). Además, colabora como evaluador,
    acreditador y miembro de comités editoriales internacionales.

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Published

2026-01-17

Issue

Section

Ecología y Medio Ambiente

How to Cite

Can biobatteries replace conventional energy sources by 2050 in a sustainable world?. (2026). Agraria, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.59741/agraria.v23i1.706

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