Next-generation electronic devices like newer computers and other high-power devices require more energy to run. When they are working hard, the intense heat they generate can limit their performance and reliability. That’s why scientists are trying to find better and more sustainable materials to help cool devices down.

Weinan Xu, an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has developed a novel concept for the fabrication and processing of thermal interface materials based on synergistic microbial biosynthesis, which is a way of making useful materials with the help of microbes like bacteria.

Thermal interface materials are specialized substances inserted between electronic and cooling devices to eliminate tiny air pockets so heat can move out of the device faster. By changing how the bacteria are grown and how the material is processed, the material’s ability to move heat, known as thermal conductivity, can be adjusted.