A group of researchers from the University of Limerick (Ireland) and Ural Federal University (Russia) received direct evidence of the piezoelectric effect of lysozyme in monoclinic and tetragonal aggregate films of lysozyme. The sufficiently high piezoelectric coefficient is several times higher than that of the classical quartz piezoelectricity, which makes it possible to use this material for various biomedical purposes, for example, to generate electric charges in cells. This means that lysozyme can be used to stimulate nerve endings by generating electrical signals directly in the body; it can serve as a power source for pacemakers (instead of regular batteries that must be periodically replaced). Moreover lysozyme can be used in various biosensors to detect specific markers of diseases.
