Gregory Hayes
Bacteria Battery
Microbial fuel cells generate electricity from “metal-breathing” bacteria in ordinary mud.
MICROORGANISMS OFTEN GET A BAD name because some of them cause disease. But many have useful abilities, from making beer, cheese, and wine to processing waste and cleaning up toxic chemicals. One type of bacteria, discovered in 1987 by Derek Lovley, can generate electricity. Here’s how you can find bacteria like these in a local pond and put them to work.
Most non-photosynthesizing bacteria, like all animals, get their energy from the cellular respiration process, which converts glucose and oxygen to water ...
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