Dynamics of Electrical Resistance of Kombucha Zoogleal Mats.

We demonstrate that zoogleal mats of kombucha exhibit spikes of electrical resistance. A kombucha is a sugared tea fermented by a symbiotic community of over 20 species of bacteria and yeasts which produce cellulosic gelatinous zoogleal mats. We recorded electrical resistance of the zoogleal mats via platinum electrodes placed at a distance 1 cm of each other. We found that the mats show temporal variations in electrical resistance in a range 0.13–0.19 M Ω. We discovered spikes of the mats resistance morphologically similar to action potential spikes. Average duration of a resistance spike is 1.8 min, average amplitude is 2.2 k Ω. Average interval between resistance spikes is c. 20 min. The discovered resistive spiking of kombucha mats might indicate on their memfractive properties, and thus, open pathways towards prototyping neuromorphic devices with living zoogleal mats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]