Researchers have developed printed magnetic sensors made from naturally sourced and lower-toxicity materials including iron, iron oxide, cellulose, and starch.
The sensors are designed for applications where electronics are only needed temporarily, such as intelligent packaging, disposable medical products, and agricultural sensor systems.
This matters because it connects biomaterial-inspired design with a scalable manufacturing route: screen printing. The article also notes that the manufacturing technology has already been licensed, which moves it beyond a purely academic result.
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-biobased-magnetic-sensors-iron-cellulose.html
